


Set the World on Fire

by JessicaDoom



Series: Set the World on Fire [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Abuse, Anal Sex, Dark Magic, Elder Wand, Forced Relationship, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Multi, Resurrection, Violence, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-20
Updated: 2014-03-06
Packaged: 2018-01-05 08:50:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 66,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1091972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessicaDoom/pseuds/JessicaDoom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Potter's an adult now - 18, graduated, and with a sure job lined up. He's worked his whole life to be this happy. But from an unexpected source comes changes to life as he knows it. Nothing will prepare him for the dark crashing in on him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. carry me home

**Author's Note:**

> As you read, you may notice the similarities between this fic and Fun's song "We Are Young". That's because it's based off of it. My plan is to have every chapter sort of based in a different song. But the overall basis is this song. Enjoy.

"Another round of drinks, my fine, lovely sir!"

"I think that's enough for you..." Hugo gently wheedled the mostly-empty beer bottle from Albus' fingers. "You just borderline tried to pick up that guy."

With a groan, Albus attempted to reach after it. But he was almost seeing double, which made it difficult to figure out which glass was real. Narrowing his eyes, he tried again. His hand fell through the air, thunking hollowly onto the table. "I'm not... Not _that_ drunk... And that guy, he," he giggled, laying his head on his cousin's shoulder, "is kinda, dunno, cute."

Hugo wrinkled his nose and stood quickly, watching Albus fall a little before actually being able to sit up. But as he did, he wavered back and forth a little bit, tittering like a child. "I think I'll join James and that joint in the bathroom..." He walked off, giving a backwards glance to his cousin. Not to make sure he was going to be okay. More like he was still trying to process what the other had just said.

The room spun as Albus Severus looked around, trying to locate everyone. It was his eighteenth birthday. They had just recently graduated from Hogwarts. Everything was falling into place due to his scores on the N.E.W.T.s. In just a few short weeks, he would be starting an internship with the Minister himself.

And there was the icing on the cake, sitting at the bar across the room. She looked so happy sitting next to that...guy he had never seen before... Smiling and staring down at the raised, pink scar just below her neck. He could just imagine the way she was trying to skirt around what happened. The story was gruesome, depressing, and made people question just why they were together.

Albus was very soon on his feet, crossing the room with quite a bit of difficulty. His legs didn't seem to want to carry him straight forward. So maybe he had drank a little too much. "Alice!" He plopped down on the other side of his girlfriend, wrapping an arm around her possessively. "Where you been?" The kiss he pressed to her neck was sloppy and lazy, but he cinched her closer to make up for it.

"Shove off, Al. You smell like my mum after a late-night shift."

"Hey!" Hannah Longbottom set a drink down in front of the other guy, leveling a look down at her daughter.

"Sorry, Mum." Alice giggled, sipping at her fruity, little drink. "But, it's true." She winked, never taking her eyes off the stranger.

Albus couldn't gauge his reaction, because all he could see what the man's black sunglasses. Indoors. At night. Al couldn't help but to chuckle, his chin resting on his girlfriend's shoulder. Who did this guy think he was? As he tried to form a coherent thought, Mrs. Longbottom reached over to gently touch his arm. "Albus, dear... I think maybe you should go home. And not drink again. Ever." She laughed softly. She had always been so kind to him.

"Ya know...you're right." Albus threw another look over at the pair of sunglasses, kissing Alice's neck once more. "It's my birthday, though... Can't I celebrate?" He pounded down on the countertop of the bar and bellowed loudly, "Another beer!"

Alice rolled her eyes, removing herself from Al's grip. "Merlin, you're an annoying drunk. I'm gonna go talk with Trey."

"Trey who?" Albus barely got out before his girlfriend was grabbing Mr. Cool's hand and guiding him over to a different corner of the tavern. They sat close in a booth, speaking intimately. "Did I jus' get dumped?"

Without a word, Hannah set a bottle of beer down in front of him and shuffled off.

His buzz dying, Albus sipped at the bottle. He couldn't help but to watch the two in the corner. His belly started to burn with jealousy the moment their lips met. He clenched the bottle tighter, eyes seeming to burn red and hot for a moment.

But the hatred coursing through him disappeared as someone placed their hand on his shoulder. Without turning, he couldn't be sure who it was. But the way those fingers clamped onto him in such a gentle way made him feel as if he were safe. Everything was alright. He didn't need that whore.

"Happy birthday," a voice broke through his alcohol-addled daze. Slowly, Albus circled the barstool around and grinned at the present held before him. Then up at the kind eyes of the one giving it to him. But that smile disappeared the moment recognition kicked in. The other, strikingly blonde boy took in the drop of expression. His own measuring out to nothing in accordance. "Your, uh, dad invited me. He said I should come. Not sure why."

Albus Potter took in the sight of Scorpius Malfoy with a long, calculating stare. He knew exactly why he had been "invited" here. It was his dad's attempt at creating a whole, happy family. "What'd you get me?" he slurred, snatching the gift out of those pale hands. This was his attempt at changing the sore subject that was their fathers.

Before he had fully unwrapped the delicate box, Scorpius kicked in softly, "It was my father's idea. He assumes, looking so much like Harry, that you practically are him. Any attempts I made to say otherwise were ignored..."

Al opened the box the rest of the way with a bit of a frown. It wasn't uncommon for people to do this – to assume he was Harry Potter in a new era. He had inherited everything from the untamable black hair to the piercing green eyes. But the similarities really stopped there. All of the outward appearances he held couldn't mask that he strived to be anything but The Boy Who Lived. Where his father had bended rules and disregarded authority to do as he saw right, Al valued order more than anything. He studied hard all the time, books being his best friends. Really the only friends he'd had, besides family, until he'd overcome puberty.

Just a few, short weeks ago, he had graduated top of his class.

The one person who was a mere half a grade behind him, stood there looking at him right now. (Rose had tried, but found boys caught more of her attention as she grew into her body. And she, theirs.) In school, the two boys had practically been rivals. They were constantly competing to win over that top spot in academics. The only place Scorpius had managed to top him was Quidditch. Through his soaked mind, he was only able to remember this as he stared down at his birthday present. "A snitch..." By looking at it, caressing it, Al could gauge that this was pure gold. The flying ball hung around a 24 karat chain, seeming to be real in every aspect. Except it lie dormant and seemed to be half the normal size. As far as he could tell, at least. He'd never really been a fan of the game, much to both his parents' dismay.

"Yeah, look...you don't have to keep it. Like I said, my father just assumed..." Shuffling his feet, the Malfoy boy kept waiting anxiously for more of a reaction.

Albus tucked the necklace back into the box and stuffed it in his pocket. "Thanks," he mumbled and finished off his sixth drink for the night. "You can stay," he added as he felt Scorpius' hesitation. "Sit. Have a drink. Or ya can abandon me, too. James and Hugo...they's in the bathroom. Getting' high. Rose turned in a'ready. And I think my girlfriend is cheatin' on me... Or I dun' have one..."

Slowly, unsure, Scorpius sat down beside Albus. But he didn't make a move to order anything. Instead, he touched the other's arm once more, in that intimate way. "I'll stay."

Despite how they used to be rivals, Albus didn't try to shake the hand. Because that was just it; they used to be. And right now, he felt he could use the company. "Cool." He laid his cheek down upon the cool wood of the countertop. If he drank anymore, he was sure he'd puke. But that didn't mean he didn't want to. With the more he had drank tonight, he'd found it increasingly easier to forget how forgotten he was.

"You don't drink much, do you?" the blonde intoned softly.

There was a bit of a long pause before Albus replied in monotone, "Does butterbeer count?"

The laugh that tumbled from Scorpius' scrawny chest caused him to jerk his head up sharply. He had never heard anything like it before from this boy. It was...happy and _actually_ amused. Not just in the way he'd heard Draco Malfoy sneer at those beneath him. Or the way this Slytherin had nervously chortled at a joke. No, this was more genuine. It both startled and intrigued him.

"It doesn't," the Malfoy boy finally said, still looking at Albus with that soft, elated expression. This was definitely a side of him he'd never known. He wasn't altogether sure anyone else had.

"Aren't ya gonna drink somethin'?" the Gryffindor asked, tearing his eyes from those of steely grey.

"I don't drink," Scorpius said simply. Nothing more, though Albus made sure to remain silent just in case.

After a few minutes of silence, he let out a soft breath and rested his face once more on the cool surface. It felt so nice against his heated cheek.

"Maybe I should walk you home. Help you get there. You're in no state to apparate."

Albus didn't want to answer. He didn't, couldn't, miss the note of concern. A tone that he never thought would be directed at him from this certain individual. It slightly alarmed him, along with something else entirely that he couldn't place.

"Heyyy, what's Malfoy doin' here?" James drawled lazily as he and Hugo sauntered back up to the pair.

Albus spoke softly, smiling with a fondness he couldn't understand. "Dad told him to come."

"So's he can butt-fuck Malfoy senior, I bets my ass."

They all let the obviousness of that statement hang in the hair way too long. It was something the Potter family never spoke of. They all knew their dad had left their mum for Mr. Malfoy. It wasn't something he attempted to hide. But, at the same time, it wasn't a subject they all liked to openly talk about. James bringing it up so easily brought them all a bit on edge.

"I think I'm gonna go home...," Albus spoke up into the dangerous tension. "Hand enough for the night... 'Sides, Alice is off snoggin' some macho, sunglasses guy in the..." He looked over to the corner, not finding his was-is-maybe-girlfriend. At some point she had apparently left and he had failed to notice. He ached deep down, clenching his fists with a sharp intake of breath.

The cool, calm, reassuring hand was back upon him. He looked down at his shoulder, seeing the stark contrast of pale skin to his black shirt. "I'll take you, alright? Which...which house?"

Although, Albus dreaded being in an empty apartment on the night of his birthday, he stood and automatically said, "Dad's. It's jus' down the street. We can walk." Before he had noticed, the inclusion of Scorpius had been spoken already.

The fact that he wobbled as he stood was a good indication he needed that steadying hand for the walk, though. So he allowed the other to follow along.

Albus told his brother to pay for their tab, and left to the sound of his protests. He walked out of the Leaky Cauldron, the dim lights of the Muggle streets distracting him momentarily. Without the focus, he nearly walked right into oncoming traffic. "Albus!" Scorpius said loudly, trying to jolt him back to full consciousness.

The shout, however, wasn't necessary. The arm secured strongly around his waist more than did the job of ensuring his safety. Instead of a pair of headlights, he collided with the firm chest of his company.

All the way to Harry's small, but decent, flat, it was all he could feel or think about. _When did he ever have the time to keep in such good shape...?_ Albus was skinny, coming from missing meals due to studying too hard. He barely weighed a hundred and thirty pounds. Seeing as their habits were similar, he'd assumed the small build of the Malfoy boy was much the same. But under the shirt clearly laid a patch of carefully rippled muscles.

He had _felt_ them. Clearly, Quidditch had done him a world of good.

The walk was quiet and quick. Sooner than Albus had realized, they were climbing the stairs up to the correct door. When he went to fumble for his keys, the boy – now man in the eyes of Muggle culture – became aware of the slight pressure leaving his mid-section. As they'd gone, he had failed to notice Scorpius had still kept his arm tight around him. Inserting the key in and finding just what he expected, nothing, he found himself almost missing the way it had felt.

"Seems so...peaceful..." Scorpius gently clicked the door shut, reaching around the wall for the light switch.

"Tha's one way to put it," Albus muttered and flicked his wand. They were engulfed with the soft glow of the couch-side lamp. When he looked up from the floor, he couldn't help but to notice how close Scorpius had come in his search. He was nearly face-to-face with him, eyes wide. A little slow to react, he took a step back. "Thanks for walkin' me home. Ya, uh... Ya can leave now." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, waiting to hear the sound of retreating footsteps.

But they seemed to come closer, and when he looked up, he once again could practically feel the tenderness radiating off of Scorpius. "You don't want to be alone tonight," he said quietly. It was a statement, not a probing question.

It was also something Al didn't think he could deny.

He took another step back, but the other followed every move he made. The moment he found himself bumping into the wall was when he had to stop and take a deep breath, swallowing hard. "M-Mal... S-S-Scorpius... Can you, uh..."

Cutting off his stutters, the blonde smiled softly and leaned in closer. He tipped the boy's face up, staring into his bright eyes. "You didn't like my gift, did you?" Gently, he reached down, finding the bulge in his picket that was the box. He gave it a squeeze and raised a brow. With the silence that followed, he never once took his eyes off young Potter. Once it became clear he wouldn't find an answer, he whispered, leaning in closer, "I had another gift in mind, Albus..."

"Wh-what?" Albus attempted to move away, but found the wall was just as unforgiving as ever. He wasn't sure what this idea for a present was, but it worried him a little. So did the fact that he couldn't remove his eyes from the silver ones shining happily before him.

Soon he didn't have to worry about them, though. The lids were closing dimly and Scorpius was leaning in to capture Albus' lips gently with his own. For a moment, the raven-haired boy felt the need to pull away. But this mouth, this breath mingling with his own, this hand delicately upon his hip was all too intoxicating. He found his own arm snaking tentatively around Scorpius' neck, deepening the kiss.

This was something he had never considered. The thought of kissing the son of his father's lover (who also happened to be his prime competition at Hogwarts) wasn't really top priority to him. But it wasn't repulsing him. Especially since he tasted just so sweet. And the feel of that chiseled chest under his fingers was delicious. He wished he could kiss those abs; he bet they tasted like sweat and everything he'd ever secretly dreamed of in a man.

But there was suddenly a nagging feel at the pit of Al's stomach. His mouth began to water from something other than Scorpius' probing tongue. He tore away, eyes wide as he gauged how quick he could make it to the bathroom. Apparently he could make it just in time, knees crashing to the floor as he puked up everything he'd ate and drank since dinner that night.

The last thing he remembered before blacking out was the gentle fingers scraping back his hair and the wet washcloth cleaning him off.


	2. slow fire burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is loosely based on the song "Run" by Matt Nathanson. It's not as blatant as the first chapter, but if you look hard enough, it's there.

When Albus woke, he was overcome straight away by the unbearable throbbing in his temple. Not just his temple, his whole head. His whole _everything_. He felt like it was all on fire. He ached that much. And the sun streaming into his eyes only made it worse. As did whoever was banging around in the kitchen. _This apartment's way too small_ , he thought vaguely, resting more comfortably into his pillow.

But if just wasn't comfortable enough. The boy frowned, opening his eyes just a slit to see what was so solid beneath him. The shriek that escaped him was involuntary as he pushed off the pale, naked chest. An arm shot out to catch him before he toppled back and hit the floor. And some voice he registered as calm and soothing ushered for him to quiet down.

The night before came crashing down on him with enough force to make him reel again. Al tore his arm away, frowning down at the gently smiling Malfoy heir.

His slow, aching mind slowly assessed the situation. They were both shirtless. He still had his trousers on, but Scorpius seemed to be stripped down to a pair of silky-looking boxers. He combined this with the memory of retching last night to assume nothing happened.

Except for the kiss.

This was the most he could do before groaning and moving to massage the bridge of his nose.

"Your dad's home. Has been for about a half hour," the other said gently, pulling himself into a sitting position as well.

Albus hardly had a second to process this, Scorpius' hand upon his before the door opened. His father, all grins and satisfied smiles, opened the door. "I know I missed the dinner last night, but I-" He stopped short, fingers turning a little white on the tray he was holding as he looked at the bed. "Oh..." Slowly, he took steps back, blinking his eyes in obvious confusion. "M-made breakfast...whenever you're ready..." Probably harder than he meant to, he snapped the door shut.

An eerie silence rested in the room after that awkward encounter. Though grinning wildly, Scorpius said nothing. He was waiting for Albus to say something. Anything.

Stunned into a quiet dream-like state, Al dashed out of the bed and moved to pull on a shirt from the closet. But, since all three children shared this room when visiting their father, he had accidentally grabbed one that belonged to his brother. James' shirt hung loosely from his small chest, the neck low enough to expose the breaches of his clavicles. This vision apparently did nothing to avert the other's eyes. If anything, he stared with more intensity than even last night's kiss.

"You gotta go..." Albus shuffled nervously from foot-to-foot. He knew what his dad must be thinking. Both boys had been half-naked. What else would he assume than that something racy had happened last night? "Now," he added hastily, hungover brain throbbing even harder.

Scorpius' mouth drew into a thin, straight line as he got up. He pulled his pants up off the floor from beside the window, putting them on in a sad, slow fashion.

Once he was dressed, he headed for the bedroom door without a word. Albus caught his arm on the way, asking him softly, scared. "Nothing happened last night...right? I mean...you know..."He was too afraid to say it out loud. It sounded dirty and forbidden in his mind.

Expression softening, Scorpius sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't ever do something like that. I'm not...that kind of person, Albus." He stepped back towards the other, reaching for his hand and bringing it gently to his lips.

Though his eyes widened, Albus didn't pull back. He actually closed the space between them. Acting on impulse, he cupped Scorpius' cheek in his palm and said softly, "Thank you... Stay for breakfast?" His forwardness surprised them both, and mentally he blamed the splitting headache he had.

"Sure." Scorpius watched him closely, looking for any sign of insincerity. But Albus gave none. He merely led them out the door and the few steps it took to get to the kitchen.

The boys stopped in unison, glued together once they were there. Their fathers stood inches from each other, talking heatedly. The elder Malfoy's pale face was stained red, though it didn't seem to be from anger. There was almost an embarrassed singe to it as he hastily uttered words to his lover. Harry Potter's hand remained cupped gently around the man's neck, trying to reassure him.

To get their attention, Al cleared his throat and took a step forward. When he dropped the hand so tenderly clasped in his, Scorpius looked forlorn and pulled his arms up to his chest. "Dad, you didn't have to go running top Mr. Malfoy."

Harry sighed and turned his son. "Draco was already here. He stayed here last night..." A fact Albus should have realized from their men's lack of clothes. Both were in no more than a t-shirt and boxer briefs. He blushed upon noticing this, taking that step back again. "We both did."

"Hey, thanks for making sure I was alright when I was puking my guts out," Albus shot at him, eyes narrowing. It irked him that his dad was there last night and he still didn't come to his aid. There was something wrong to that. "Oh, wait. That wasn't you. That was Scorpius." He frowned, not sure why that gave a little flutter to his stomach.

Harry's expression was hard to read as he pushed a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast across the table. "Eat. I'll see if I have a Pepper-Up Potion somewhere. But we do need to talk about..." He cleared the uncomfortable feeling creeping up from his throat. "This." He gestured between the two children and grasped Draco roughly by the arm, pulling him back to his bedroom.

"Whatever they say, they're hypocrites." This was the first trace of anger Albus could remember hearing from the other. It made him cringe, sitting down and picking at the toast. Scorpius continued, settling against the counter with his arms still held to his chest. "Our home may be big, but I can still hear them at night. They don't stick to father's bedroom, by the way..." He shuddered, closing his eyes at the memories that came flooding back. "Their libidos are...massive..." There was a tone to his voice that the words ' _and that's not all_ ' were left out of his small rant.

In the silence that followed, Albus had no idea what to say. He and Mr. Malfoy never stayed here on the same nights. Ginny made absolute sure of that. She didn't want the divorce to affect any of her children like that. But, apparently, the other half in this awkward situation couldn't care less. Surely Draco and Astoria, who were no longer married either, should have taken some measures to keep Scorpius happy. But apparently not. It saddened Al to think on it, worrying at his lip.

As he thought about this, however, he couldn't help but to wonder why he cared. Just last night, he was willing to push Scorpius away. But something about that gift and the way the other looked at him... It had pulled him in. Completely sucked his heart in and now...he couldn't pull away. What was holding him there exactly? And why was he only able to realize how much he wanted the Malfoy boy after last night.

_Because...I was afraid to let him in before...._ admit to.

And apparently that likeness stemmed down to their taste in men. Blonde, rich men were his weakness...

Absently, Albus reached into his pocket and pulled out the gift box. He unwrapped the necklace again, smiling softly to himself. Even if he didn't particularly like the charm hanging upon it, he still couldn't help but to feel elated at the thought of it. Scorpius had actually thought to get him a gift. He couldn't quite remember what everyone else had bought for him. But this kept nagging at his soul. He couldn't wait to put it on.

His fingers shook in anticipation as Albus worked to clasp the chain around his neck. The cold metal seemed to warm soothingly at the touch of his skin.

"That's nice. Where'd you get it from?" Harry said gently, rejoining the boys in the kitchen. He slid a vial over to his son, smiling kindly. Startled, Al looked up from the gold, meeting his father's eyes for a moment. Then shifted over towards the boy so raptly staring at him from by the counter. He donned a delighted blush, opening his mouth to speak after swallowing the potion and feeling the warm feeling of it beginning to work.

Draco cut him off, plopping down across from him at the table before he could utter a sound. "That's the gift I picked out for Scorpius to give to him." Those grey eyes shone with a mischievous glint, hinting that Albus wasn't the intended source. Surely he had hoped the boy wouldn't like it and toss it aside to his father.

Instinctively, Albus gripped at the tiny ball. Protecting it. Harry nodded, staring at the necklace with something like envy. He seemed not to have any expensive, Malfoy-chosen trinket to call his own. "Well... Ehem, let's get this done with." He sat softly beside Draco, eyes on his lover's son. They begged for him to join them. Scorpius remained where he was, eyes cold. "Simply...," Harry started, returning his gaze to his own child. "Draco and I feel that we can't rightfully tell you not to date each other. We don't set a very good example against it, so..." He shrugged, hand reaching out to find the paler one beside his. "We know that you're adults and that you can make your own decisions. _However_ , we do ask that you get permission before spending nights together." Albus made a move to protest, but Draco's steely look caused him to remain quiet." Maybe nothing happened last night. We don't care to know either way. Just please respect what we're asking and we'll all be fine." He ended with a smile, reaching for an abandoned cup of coffee.

"Don't tell Mum," Albus said quietly, standing and looking over at Scorpius. "I want to do it myself."

"I can live with that," Harry breathed, relieved.

Albus nodded, lacing his fingers with the blonde boy's as he walked over. "We're...we're going out. I'll be back later." Harry gave a silent smile in consent. This was all Al needed to see before he was dashing out of the flat.

The moment fresh air hit his lungs, he felt he could really, finally breathe again. But he didn't speak a single word, leading his...well, Scorpius down the street. In fact, they had reached a children's park before either of them even said a word. "Fucking hypocrites," Scorpius hissed, lowering himself onto a swing. There was a terrifying, dark glow to his eyes that Albus nearly cringed at.

He sat beside the other slowly. Cautiously. "Wh-what?"

Scorpius shook his head, as if ridding himself of some thought, and muttered, "Nothing..."

Albus awkwardly pumped his legs, putting the swing in motion. He had nothing more to say. Instead he kept moving, watching the ground move under his feet.

"You look rather like a child," Scorpius said, amusement hiding behind his serious expression And something else...

_Desire_.

Abruptly, Albus dug his heels into the ground. He came to a lurching stop, knees threatening to cave backwards. His shock and wide eyes had nothing to do with the other's statement or the hidden expressions. Instead, it stemmed from the longing he was feeling in return. He had the urge to press his lips to those soft, gently colored ones playing at an almost smile. He wanted to watch Scorpius undress. He wanted to see him come completely _undone_.

"Albus?" Scorpius asked softly, studying him carefully. "Do you actually like me? Or was last night merely the alcohol working in you? Or...or the hate towards that Longbottom girl? Was it real?"

Albus knew the answer right off the top of his head. Yes. Yes, it was real. One hundred percent genuine. Yet, fear and denial held him back. He didn't want to open his mouth and spill a secret he'd kept from even himself for years.

Instead of a coherent thought, Al squeaked out a sound that was absolutely pitiful. It was along the lines of an anguished cry mixed with a heated moan.

Slowly, carefully, Scorpius stood. His fists tightened around the chains of the other swing, leaning down so their eyes were level. "You do," he stated coolly. It made Albus shiver, unable to tear his eyes away. "You do, Albus. Severus. Potter." He paused momentarily at the end of every part of Al's name, savoring the lost, rapt sheen that enveloped the once-Gryffindor every time.

Any doubts currently in Albus' mind, ebbed away with that statement. The press of a kiss to his forehead sealed the thoughts in his head. He liked Scorpius Malfoy. A lot. He was surer of it now than he had been of anything else before. "I do," he whispered, snaking his arms around the other's neck.

Scorpius stood, hands moving to Albus' hips as he pulled him up from his seat. "Swear that you'll be mine now." His wand was in his hand, the tip resting softly against where the Potter boy's heart was.

Without hesitation or coaxing, Albus nodded and said, barely audible, "I swear..."

Because he was lost in Scorpius' stare, he missed the shimmer to the air around them. A spell at work, sneaking its way into Albus through the other's silent incantations. One that had full control of his soul. It caused his vision to black over, lids sliding shut before he could notice anything awry. Slowly, he slumped forward, caught by the toned man that was leering down at him.

Albus Potter was now completely at Scorpius Malfoy's mercy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it wasn't as long this time, but this was exactly how I wanted to end it


	3. want to use you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter's, again, loosely based off a song. You have to look quite hard to see it, but the song is "Sweet Dreams" by Annie Lennox. Mostly because I was having a hard time finding a song I thought it seemed like... My apologies for that.

After having woken alone in his bed late that night, Albus hadn't seen a single sign of Scorpius. It was nearing on a week, and there was no word from the other. He wasn't sure exactly what had happened to make him pass out this time. The last he could remember, no matter how many times he went over it, he was telling Scorpius he liked him. After that, a blank spot cloaked him up until he woke from a dark nightmare at his mother's.

The dream had almost scared him as much as not knowing what had happened. It was dark and sinister. But the worst part wasn't how evil it felt. It was the fact that he couldn't shake the realness of it. This didn't feel like it existed in another world.

So horrified by this nightmare was Albus that he couldn't sleep for days. He honestly couldn't do a thing. All he could muster was to eat at appropriate times and to alternate reading books on the history of the ministry for magic with staring off into deep space.

No matter how many days passed by, Albus found that he couldn't shake the images running over and over in his head. He looked haggard and smelt horrid. By the time a week had fully passed, he finally felt he should tell someone. Maybe they could help to alleviate the fear so wrought inside of him. They could tell him that it was nothing, just some image his mind had foolishly conjured up.

But who?

The first choice on his list was Scorpius. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted to run to the Malfoy and tell him _everything_. Every dirty secret, held desire, wanton thought he had. At the thought of doing this, however, an unidentifiable wave flowed through him. Without reason, he knew that this was something he couldn't do yet. Scorpius was unavailable. He shivered; putting it out of his mind as he somehow knew he should.

The next option on his list was almost too obvious. It was no secret that his father had dealt with dark magic in the past. It was why he had been Head Auror almost straight out of the last wizarding war. Just recently, he had retired from that line of work. It was his gift to James upon his graduation – his father's safety. So, if anyone knew what to say to console him, it would be Harry. Hopefully.

After running a quick hygienic spell over himself, Albus flooed to the small apartment. He didn't even think before stepping out of the small fireplace, taking a scope of the sitting room. "Dad...?" he asked softly, walking through the rest of the room that conjoined to the kitchen. Nothing. But the labored sounds coming from the master bedroom were a good hint as to why. He rolled his eyes, making sure to stop his feet to alert the adults of his presence.

A couple loud shuffles and his dad was poking his head out the door, face flushed and hair an absolute mess. "Albus," he said in a hoarse whisper. It was clear that he was doing some 'hard work' in there by the angry welts on his neck and the way his lips protruded more than normal. He cleared his throat and wiped sweat from his brow before questioning, "What are you doing here?"

Albus' heart panged, seeing the obvious desperation in his father's eyes to finish what he was doing. It wasn't that much of a stretch to assume Mr. Malfoy was in there as well. Apparently he came first.

Fists balling in anger, he turned on his heel, heading back for the fireplace. It was a mistake to ever think he could reply on his father for anything. "Never mind. Go back to fucking. Your kids don't need you or anything." He kicked out at the wall, not even giving the hole he'd created a second look.

"Albus Severus Potter!"

Slowly and with every ounce of strength he could muster at this point, Al turned back towards his father. He was fully clothed; sweat staining the back and armpits of his white t-shirt. Arms crossed, he stared down at his son. Instantly, regret for what he'd said settled into the belly of the younger Potter's stomach. He was paranoid and angry, which caused him to be irrational with his own dad. "Sorry," he said, eyes falling to the floor in the epitome of a scolded child. "I thought..."

Harry sighed, sitting on the couch and patting the cushion beside him. His son rushed over, curling up to him. It was like he was young again, seeking comfort in the safest place he knew. "I was rearranging my furniture, Al. You know, for a change of scenery. I was only surprised to see you. You kids hardly ever come visit me for no reason," Harry explained gently, including the rest of his children to show just how much that hurt him.

Sighing softly, Albus nodded and closed his eyes. He felt horrible for assuming something like that. His dad had never pushed them aside for anything. Especially not a lover. He cared about his children. To assume otherwise was just cruel. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm just... I haven't slept in a week," he whispered, scared as he was forced to think on the reason.

"That's not healthy. If you're worried about your coming position at the ministry, then I suggest you don't do it. It's not worth losing sleep over. You could find something you'd love to do more. You're a talented boy."

"No, no," Albus assured his dad. "That's the least of my worries..." He sighed, not sure how to explain it. It sounded a bit childish now that he was here, worrying so much on a mere dream.

Harry rubbed small circles into Albus' back and kissed the top of his messy hair. "Albus... No matter what it is, I can handle it. I can help. I'm your father. It's what I'm here for. You don't have to worry, I promise you."

With that reassurance, Albus nodded and began to spill it all out. "I had a dream about a week ago. No... Not a dream, a nightmare. Except, well, it just felt too real. And I know that sounds stupid-"

"Don't for a moment think that it's stupid. And don't write this dream off." Harry's body was stiff and he had stopped with his sweet gestures. As Albus studied him, he noted the manic, nearly terrified look in his eyes. This was something he'd never seen from either parent before. They had always remained cool, calm, and collected. The voices of reason when anything threatened to go wrong. So the fact that just the start of his explanation had brought on this type of response did nothing to quell the fears so deeply wrought in the younger man.

"I, um..." Albus couldn't help the tears falling down his cheeks. He stood, wringing his hands as he paced in front of the couch. He quickly wiped at his eyes, trying to take a deep, steadying breath before continuing. "Well, it started in this...graveyard. There wasn't anyone around. So...I think I was seeing through the eyes of the person going there. But...he... I moved a mass of dirt at this freshly dug grave. From way down at the bottom, I took a pinch of the soil. Then there was some sort of flash. It must have been me...him apparating because we were somewhere different. I was in a...dark, dirty place. It smelt dank and...almost like metal. There was this white star thing in a circle on the ground. It was grainy...like it was made of salt? I sat down in the middle. The air filled with a different scent. I think it was incense. And then... I was chanting for...so long. It was creepy. I could feel...these spirits, these _things_ around me. It made me feel so uncomfortable. And then...I woke up." He frowned, sinking back down next to his dad and curling up to him again.

It felt like a giant weight had been lifted just by rambling it out. He was still a bit scared, but suddenly he felt he could sleep. Exhaustion was nestled deep in his bones and he felt his eyes sliding closed. But Harry's soft words in his ears kept him awake. Especially since he sounded so, so scared.

"Albus... You're one hundred percent sure you weren't actually doing these things? That you were just witnessing them through someone's eyes." Harry's body was tensed up like a spring beside Al. He turned to look up at his father, nodding gently, afraid to say anything else to upset him. Harry cleared his throat, looking away and down at the floor as he thought. "Okay...go home. Get some sleep." He gently mussed the already messy mass of black hair, attempting to be reassuring. "Your dream...it's nothing to worry about. It's probably just some messed up nightmare."

No matter what his father said, Albus couldn't shake the feeling he had right now. He'd seen this, he was sure. There was something about what he was going through that Harry had undoubtedly been through himself. But he stood without a word, leaning down to gently kiss his father's cheek. "Thanks, Dad. Um...can you ask Mr. Malfoy to tell Scorpius I miss him?" He bit his lip gently and attempted a smile. But with his heart so tired from this mess, he couldn't quite get it right.

"Sure. He said Scorpius was on a vacation to his grandparents' this last week," Harry said, clearly distracted. "He should be home soon." He rested back, returning the same, weary grin. "I'll have him come visit you in Godric's Hollow. But right now I want you to go home and sleep. Put that dream out of your head. It's nothing."

The lack of surety in Harry's voice did nothing to convince Albus as he gathered himself and returned home.

~*~

That night, Albus had slept for what felt like years. He had not one dream the whole time. The talk with his father had done well to settle his sleeping mind. But the moment he woke, he found that all of the worries returned tenfold. And his ache to see Scorpius was more intense. The week had passed fully now. Along with the time elapse came a need for the other. It was no longer a subtle remembrance that he was alone. Instead, there was this deep, full _need_.

He had this feeling that it would all be resolved soon, though. A feeling that became true quicker than expected.

"Albus, you have a visitor," Ginny said gently as he descended the stairs, yawning and attempting to get his hair to lie flat. The hygiene spell had done nothing the day before to ungreased it, apparently because it stuck up in the strangest ways. He looked up in surprise, the platinum blonde hair catching his eye instantly.

"Oh!" Albus ducked back up and into his room, blushing like a cherry tomato. He showered quickly and put on fresh clothes before even attempting to face Scorpius again. And when he did, the grin playing at his lips only brought the flush back to the Potter boy's cheeks. He fingered a wave gently and avoided the way his mother was watching them.

Scorpius raised his brow and nodded towards the door. "We should go grab some lunch, Al..."

"Albus, one moment, please." Stepping towards her son, Ginny held out a letter. "You have mail from the Ministry."

Eyes wide and worried, Albus snatched up the letter. He was at the door, opening it before he'd even realized what he was doing. "Thanks, Mum! See you later." They were outside in the softly drizzling rain within seconds, Al ripping the letter open without hesitation. His eyes scanned it eagerly, face falling with every passing sentence.

Throughout, Scorpius stood off to the side, watching the small puddles forming on the cobblestone streets. He almost didn't seem to care about the anguish so painfully written into the lines of his boyfriend's face. Like he was expecting it.

"The Minister..." Albus let out a broken sob, stepping closer to the other male. He reached for his arm, seeking comfort. "He changed his mind about the internship."

"What internship?" Scorpius' voice was hollow, almost mechanical. He didn't take a second to look down at Al. His eyes were solely trained on the grey pools.

"I had an internship with the Minister _himself_ , Scorpius! Merlin, maybe if you didn't disappear completely for a week I could have told you that! What's with that, by the way? I don't remember _a thing_ about what happened at the park. I said I liked you. That's it. What happened a week ago? And why the hell couldn't you come to see me just once since then? I had something I had wanted to talk to you about." There was now a hint of disdain to the way Albus spoke, matched with the hurt he was feeling. Maybe a dash of confusion, as well.

Sympathy crept into Scorpius' slate eyes as he turned to look down at the other. In nearly a whisper, he said, "Albus, look at me." He tilted his chin upward and pressed a gentle kiss to the stuttering lips. "Relax. I was at my grandparents'. It means a lot to my grandfather that I take time away from the rest of the world and give me some attention. But I'm back now. What happened at the park was nothing. You passed out. Again. I took you to your mother's. I didn't have the time to explain where I was going. But I'm here now. That counts for something, right?" He winked at him, leaning in to steal another kiss. This one was more passionate, aided by the slip of tongue to teeth.

Albus gasped, once again caught off guard. He tried to take a step back, but Scorpius' arm around his waist held him in place. Eyes wide, he looked around to make sure no one was looking. Luckily Godric's Hollow was a quiet village. Upon realizing they were completely alone, as far as he cared, he shifted up into the embrace. His fingers found the other man's belt loops, hooking onto them with a satisfied sigh. All worries about his lost job and how alone he had been the last few days disappeared. For the moment, they didn't matter.

Other thoughts began to consume him, instead. He had the urge to run away with Scorpius forever. To never look back. To...do his bidding?

A bit stunned, Albus attempted to back from the taller man again. He mumbled against the needy crush of lips, "We need to talk."

Scorpius sighed, nearly pushing Al away from him. His sexual longing was blatantly obvious in the way his fists clenched at his sides. He raked his fingers hastily through his perfectly slicked back hair and turned away for a moment. As if he were trying to keep himself composed. "What is it, Albus?" he hissed, barely heard over the sudden crack of thunder that rang through the air.

Albus jumped, looking up at the sky. It had turned from a light grey to a roiling black mass of clouds almost in an instant. He swallowed hard, shying away from the lightning that seemed all too close. There was this sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that the weather was reflecting the angered look upon the other's face. He gently reached out to touch Scorpius' hand and whispered, "I just want to clear a few things up. Like why I feel so attached to you after years of rivalry. Or... Blimey, I don't know. There's just so many things going on right now that I don't quite understand. And you haven't even given me a chance to grieve for the loss of the most important job I've ever had lined up for myself."

"First of all, you're with a Malfoy now. I won't hear of you even having a job. Put it out of your mind." With a simple, cutting look from Scorpius, Al had no problem with this command. The thought seemed to leave his head with no more provocation. "I can take care of you, Albus. I have more than enough money and whatever else you may need." His expression softened a bit, the air around them calming at this simple change. "I cannot say why you feel so attached to me. That is for you to...figure out on your own." A signature Malfoy grew upon his mischievous lips. "What I can say is I need you by my side at all times, Albus."

The words were sweet enough. There was obvious a romantic edge to them. But Albus couldn't help but to feel the shiver that ran down his spine at the bite of possession they held. Nor could he resist stepping closer to the other man. Just as before, he felt the urge to run away with Scorpius and never look back. He wanted to do anything and everything he was told. In a way, he felt like a willing slave to him.

"I'll take your silence for submission." Scorpius chuckled and Albus found his breath absolutely stolen away at the sound of it. He softly nodded, knowing that he really was giving in fully to him. "Great. Then we can get on with the rest of this."

Without further explanation, the blonde grabbed his partner's arms. They disappeared from their spot in the Godric's Hollow, reappearing in an alley of another village. Frowning, Albus took a step towards the opening and looked around. People milled by in the streaming sun of the early afternoon. No one seemed in much of a hurry to be any particular place. But he did note that they all looked happy and carefree. "Where are we?" he asked softly, flicking his gaze momentarily back to Scorpius.

Confidently, Scorpius strode out onto the street and beckoned the other with a wave of his hand. "Come. I have something to show you."

As they walked down the length of the street, up towards a hill, Albus took note of where they were. He saw a sign welcoming them into Little Hangleton, but couldn't quite place where that was. By the accents of those passing by, he assumed they were still in England somewhere. "Scor?" he probed gently, attempting to keep up with the other's long strides.

"Hush. We are almost there."

After a few minutes' trek, they finally reached a gate. Upon the wrought iron was a large, delicate 'R'. Albus reached up to run his fingers over the letter, but the gates swung open before he had the chance. Scorpius strode through confidently, not waiting to see if his company would follow. He knew there was no question that Albus would.

Albus was tired of the silence. He had so many questions, walking by the graves that lay at the bottom of the hill. But Scorpius wouldn't give him an answer, so he didn't dare try asking again. Instead, he merely followed while staring around in fascination. There was a small cottage at the edge of the grounds, but that wasn't what caught the man's eyes. The manor that sat upon the top of the hill was more breath-taking than the lush greenery or lavish gardens dotted around the yards. He smiled, bending down to pick up a delicate wildflower and sniffed at its perfume.

The outside stone of the house was a bit overgrown, which Albus could readily see as they were now only a few feet from it. Eyes narrowed, he reached out to pull at a vine, finding it crinkled and fell off under his touch. But even through the decrepit outside, he still found he could see some beauty in the structure. There was something about this building that exuded power no matter what state it was in. The raw feeling of it coursing through him took his breath away.

He smiled over at Scorpius who had stopped a few feet from the door, staring up at the gorgeous old-fashioned front door. Eagerly, he crossed the gap between them, taking the paler hand in his. Waiting for answers.

"Welcome to our new home," the blonde simply said, a wicked grin teasing at the corner of his lips.


	4. screaming in your itching ears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off this chapter is based on Flyleaf's "I'm So Sick". It's actually quite obvious if you compare against lyrics. Also, I just want to warn everyone that from this chapter one, things will be getting VERY dark. If you don't like non-consexual sex, abuse, dark elements, pagan rituals, etc. I suggest you don't read further. But I beg for you to give it a chance. You won't regret it. Pinky swear. That's it. ENJOY.

Albus blinked at Scorpius, unable to comprehend the five, simple words that had come out of his perfectly shaped mouth. They should have been easy to understand. It wasn't a complicated notion. But, for some reason, he just didn't get it. Frowning, he just continued to stare at the man who had dared to utter such a complicated sentence.

"Albus Potter, did I scare you?" Scorpius laughed softly and grabbed the other's arm, pulling him closer. "Or did you just not hear me through the overwhelming rush of power coming from this...amazing house?" He dominated the other's neck with a teasing bite before pulling back and taking a good sniff of the summer's air.

The rush of supremacy increased by over a hundred percent as Albus rested into the blonde's chest. He couldn't help but to smile gently and just accept what was going on. Accept without a single question or care in the world that this was _their_ house. "It's...gorgeous!" he said with a gentle titter.

"My grandfather bought it for me. He said, since I'm an adult now, that I need a home of my own. To start my own life in. I couldn't imagine a better place..." For a moment, Scorpius lost himself in thought, staring down at the graveyard below. The glint in his eye was inspiring, causing Al to hold him tighter. This brought the other back to life, coming back to look up at the house again. "And you are going to come start an adult life with me."

Albus nodded instinctively, circling his arms up around the other's neck. "Yes, I am," he whispered, leaning up on tip-toe to press their lips together. But the kiss didn't last long. He wasn't allowed the luxury of assertion. Scorpius pulled back, striding off down the walk back towards the gate again.

"Come, Albus."

His legs carrying him along, Al followed like a love-sick puppy. He caught up after a few panicked strides and grabbed the delicate hand. His heart whole as they conjoined and walked down to the graveyard. There weren't many graves within, and mostly all had the name Riddle upon them. Curious, he stooped to examine a few of the smaller ones, trying to understand more about where they were going to be living soon. But never once did he let go of the hand anchoring him to his new look at reality.

Their steps didn't halt until the two men came upon an unmarked grave. Scorpius reached out with his free hand, touching the grey stone with a dark, twisted smile. "We have big plans to carry out, Albus." His hand closed, nails scratching into the blank marker. Where his manicured nails touched, five short lines burned against grey. They were red hot for a long moment while the blonde hissed out a low, creeping sound. Once he hushed, the heat cooled but left the clawed gashes. "But they will have to wait... We have moving to do, yes?"

He turned away from the grave with a sadistic grin, adding, "After this." Possessively, Scorpius made the same clawing motion at Albus' chest, dragging him forward. Al could feel the burn digging into his skin, but couldn't bring himself to flinch. Instead, he stared directly into the silver eyes so intensely watching him. He knew, though, if he were to look down he'd see the hot need flowing through Scorpius' fingertips, burning him with their dominance. "You're such a good, little consort," Scorpius said on a breath of wind, laying his palm flat over the burns he'd made. They ceased their angry smart and glow, cooled by a feeling Albus would have likened to ice upon a fire.

"C-consort?"

Scorpius winked, backing Albus up against the burned grave. He leaned in and eagerly took what was his. His lips dominated the vulnerable ones before him. To suppress any coming objections, he let go of the hand so eagerly gripping his and tangled it in the mess of black hair before him. He yanked hard, forcing Al to part his lips so his tongue could eagerly explore.

Whimpering gently, Albus scrambled for purchase upon the smooth stone. He wasn't attempting to get away. All he wanted was to be able to kiss his lover back with less difficulty. His head felt like it was on fire and the place on his chest ached worse than he could remember anything hurting before. "S-Scor... Please...p-please..." He gently pushed at the other's chest, merely wanting him to let up a little.

Although this was a little fast and rough, he didn't even want to say 'no'.

Scorpius growled warningly and pressed even harder into the body below him. His half-formed urging dug threateningly into Albus' crotch. His hand disentangled from the dark strands and moved down to the thin neck close at hand. Its presence was once more a threat to behave. That Albus had no choice but to do what he wanted. To go along with it.

Within a couple seconds, this was being put to the test. Albus was flipped over to a top position, Scorpius' zipper below his hovering mouth. He panted slowly, attempting to breathe with the soft, yet demanding, constriction to his throat. "Scorpius, what...?" he questioned, but was cut off by the strong hands pulling him closer. He winced, nose catching upon the sharp edges of his zipper. The drop of blood that fell onto the pair of dark trousers before him was enough to bring him out of the compliant haze he was in.

Albus sat up quickly, bringing his fingers up to the cut upon the tip of his nose. He pulled them away, the angry red smear upon them bringing on a soft gasp. "Scorpius!"

The pale blonde rolled his eyes and crossed his arms behind his head. Lounging upon the dirt of the grave like this, he looked so princely and perfect. "Relax, Albus. It's a tiny scratch. You will live."

"What were you going to do? Force me to suck you off?" Albus glared, scooting back upon the earth in a desperate attempt to get away. "I thought you weren't that type of person?" He called back to their conversation a week ago, hurt that he seemed to have been lying.

"Did you say 'no'?" Scorpius asked lazily, watching the clouds go by in the skies.

This question threw Albus off a little bit. He frowned, stopping all movement. Had he said anything to get the other to stop? Running over the last few minutes, he concluded that he hadn't. His mouth closed and opened like a water-starved fish. One eyebrow raise from Scorpius had him immediately jamming it back shut. "I guess not," he muttered, crawling closer once more. "You hurt me, though..." He sighed, shaking his head and lying down beside him, head on the chiseled chest.

"I like control."

It was the only explanation Scorpius saw as necessary for he remained quiet in the minutes spanning afterwards. Albus nodded slowly, a portrait of confusion.

"Don't try to overthink it, Albus." Scorpius sat up and pushed Albus off to the side. He stood, wiping the dirt off his priceless clothing. "I like control. Simple as that. Let's go." He reached down, grabbing Al by the collar, causing him to scramble to his feet. "We need to go to our separate houses and pack."

"What?" Albus stumbled after him, fixing his the overstretched neck of his shirt. "Today?"

Again, Scorpius growled and rounded on the other. "Yes, today! I told you, there are things that need to be done. And they need to be done _soon_. So we have to move _today_! Do you understand _now_ , Albus?" His steely grey eyes bore deeper, sharper holes into his chest than his fingers had done minutes previous.

Albus winced at Scorpius' rough tone. He stopped his steps towards the gate, hands on his hips. "And what exactly do I tell my mother?"

It was obvious, by the dangerous look that crossed over Scorpius' whole being, that he was less than impressed with Albus standing up to him. He seethed through his perfect teeth, "You tell her that you love the fuck out of me, Albus. You tell her them you are moving in with me no matter what she says. But you do _not_ tell her where we are moving _to_. You tell no one this. And if anyone tries to stop you, you curse them, get your things, and _leave_. You will do this _just_ as I have said."

Without question, Albus nodded and hooked his arm with the other's. "Sorry...of course." His lips pulled up into a worry-free smile. That sounded perfect. He would tell his parents that he was doubtlessly devoted to Scorpius. That he loved him beyond all reason. Because he certainly did.

If he had been thinking for himself, he would have most definitely noticed how sketchy that sounded. He and Scorpius had been...a thing for nothing more than a week. Before that, they had competed against each other for everything. But now he was so ready to accept that he was absolutely taken with Scorpius.

The two men walked back to their alleyway they arrived at initially before apparating back to Godric's Hallow. They stopped for a quick, quiet lunch at a small café, and then headed back to Albus' home. He looked up at the house he'd grown up in with a mixture of bliss and recollection playing on his face. At his side, he gripped the strong hand in his. "I'm going to miss this place..."

Scorpius less-than-gently ushered him up towards the door. "Come back to our home at ten tonight. I will be waiting." He turned on his fashionable heel and walked away, leaving the delicious clicking sound of his shoes on the road in his wake.

"O...kay..." With a frown stuck to his lips, Albus walked into the house and plopped down into a plush armchair. He pulled off his shoes before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The haze over his mind, however, didn't clear no matter how many times he pulled air into his lungs.

"Albus...are you alright, dear?"

Slowly, Al opened his eyes and nodded at his mother. His eyes had a shifty, dull look to them as he surveyed the glass of water out to him. He accepted it, taking a refreshing sip. "Thanks, Mum." His voice held the same lifeless quality as his eyes.

A fact Ginny picked up on right away. She narrowed her eyes, watching him skeptically. "You're welcome. Did you have fun with...the Malfoy boy?" She raised a brow, hesitant with every fiber of her being.

"Yes."

The simple, one-word answer was clearly not enough for this probing mother. She crossed her arms, a little more firm with her words this time, "Is something going on, Albus?"

"No."

"Okay, I know you're an adult, but I'm still your mother." She sat down beside him, gently grazing a touch over his nose. "You have a cut here. And you're not acting yourself. I know that you would never do anything private or personal with Scorpius Malfoy. You can't stand him. Or, at least, you couldn't when you graduated a few weeks ago. Would you mind explaining to me what's going on?"

In the time it took for his mother to get that out, Albus' expression went from docile to absolutely enraged. One hand was balled at his side, the other threatening to break the glass he was still holding. His eyes darkened their foggy appearance, cutting her a sidelong glare. Through gritted teeth, he bit, "I am in love with Scorpius, _mother_. He asked me to move in with him today. I am going to. I just came back to pack. As for the cut, I walked into a wall, because I'm a clumsy idiot." He pushed up off the couch, legs aching from how tense he was as he walked to his bedroom door.

Al stopped short, catching sight of his father in the doorframe. He was leaning so casually, surveying the scene so mildly, that the boy hadn't noticed him straight away. They stared at each other for a long moment before Harry spoke soothingly, "You love him? After a week? Are you sure that's entirely reasonable?"

"I-it hasn't just been a week!" Though he meant to shout, Albus' lack of conviction caused the timbre of his voice to fail.

Harry pushed up off the doorframe, striding over to his son. He played with the familiar haphazard locks of hair for a moment, then sighed wistfully. "Then how long has it been?"

_Years...._

The hiss in his ear caused Albus to jump slightly, but he knew it was meant to be helpful. Someone was coaching him. He stepped back from his father, pushing his hair out of his face. "What's Dad doing here?" he rounded on his mother, attempting to steer the conversation around so he could gather himself just a little bit.

"Your father came to spend some time with his children. But none of you were home." Ginny stood, crossing her arms in front of her to keep her hands from shaking. "Now, don't change the subject. How long has it been, Albus?"

"Years! Scorpius and I have been together for years, okay? Since before Dad and Mr. Malfoy even started sleeping together, I bet! And I love him, Dad. I do. I've loved him since I met him." The words flowed through him automatically. The soft voice in his head spoke effortlessly through him. It was like he shared a soul with this voice.

Dumbfounded, Harry turned to face his ex-wife. It seemed they were having the same thought. They both knew the signs all too well. "Albus...," Ginny said cautiously, taking steps towards their son. Her hand was slightly outstretched, wanting so badly for her suspicions to be wrong. "Albus, dear, did he hurt you? Did Scorpius...curse you in some way?"

"He wouldn't know if he was cursed, Ginny!" Harry snapped, pulling out his wand just in case.

A warning pang coursed through Albus' heart. He had to steer the conversation away from this subject. The voice in his head kept whispering of its danger. How they could ruin _everything_ if they were allowed to keep probing. "Mother! Of course I'm not cursed! Is that what you asked Dad when he wanted to leave you for Mr. Malfoy? Did you ask him if he was bloody cursed?" As hard as he tried to be convincing, the worry in his voice betrayed him. It did nothing to stifle his parents' curiosity and worry.

Ginny closed the distance between them, pulling her boy into a fierce embrace. "If your father had been acting as out of sorts as you are, I would have questioned it. But this is different..." She pulled back, looking into his lifeless, emerald eyes. "Do you have any...blank patches in your memory? Times when you blacked out or can't remember what happened?"

A notion of recognition nagged at the pit of Albus' stomach. He did have that. He couldn't remember what had happened a week ago today in the park. But he easily pushed this aside the moment the front door opened. Scorpius' face brought a bright grin to his lips. He ran across the room, nearly bowling his boyfriend over as he threw his arms around him.

"Shh, it's okay," the blonde said gently, attempting to halt the sobs wracking the small body against his. "They're just worried..."

"This was a private conversation, young Malfoy," Ginny seethed. She watched the way the boy – for he was no man, in her eyes – held her son. It was possessive and reeked of abuse. She wouldn't stand for this, even if she could see Harry melting at the sight. He didn't know how to look beneath the surface at things like this. He had never been in her shoes.

The malicious glint in Scorpius' eye was momentary, but Ginny would not have missed it as he looked up at her. His arm remained fastened around Albus' waist, but he no longer held him to his chest. At his side, he was in plain view for both parents to see. To see that he was in no obvious harm. "Mrs. Potter, I-"

"Weasley," she cut in sharply. She looked aghast at even the notion of still keeping her ex-husband's sir name.

"I apologize." Scorpius nodded his head gently in her direction, seeming truly apologetic. "Miss Weasley, I mean absolutely no harm to Albus. Honestly, I love him. It's why I stuck around outside. I wanted to make sure everything went smoothly when he told you of our plan. It's because I care about him deeply. He's a wonderful man with...many amazing qualities. He's smart and beautiful and... _innocent_. Albus is everything I could ever want." He took a brave step forward, sending a sickly smile Ginny's way. "You see, my grandfather bought me a house just recently. He feels that since I am an adult now, it is important for me to detach myself from my parents. To become independent." His softly squeezed his lover's side and pressed a kiss into his hair. "I asked Albus to move in with me because I want the same for him. I want him to be every bit the man he has the potential to be. And in order for him to accomplish this, he needs to move out of his dear Mummy's house." The chiding tone to his voice was unmistakable, but he caught himself and continued in a more refined manner. "You see, Albus lost his internship with the Minister. He was quite distraught. I figured if he and I were to live together, I could support him until he finds another job. I would support him even if he chose to remain unemployed. But, as I said before, he has so much potential..." Again, his lips took on an uncanny curl at the edges. He shifted his gaze over to Harry before finishing. "All I want is for Albus to be happy. I believe I could provide that happiness."

In the silence that followed Scorpius' speech, Harry rubbed tiredly at the bridge of his nose. He didn't know what to think. Yes, it was out of character for Albus to look so worn down. But right now, with the blonde boy at his side, he looked the happiest he'd ever been. The thought that he looked like a younger version of himself and Draco also passed through his mind. And once that was there, he couldn't do a thing to stop this. He sighed gently, nodding his consent and waving his hand softly in Ginny's direction. "Ginny, let it go..."

"You can't be serious!" Ginny rounded on Harry, red hair whipping around her like an angry flame. "That _boy_ is clearly controlling our son! I've been cursed before. I know what it's like to have dark magic controlling your every move, Harry! I _know_ that Albus is under some sort of curse! And you're just going to stand by and watch it happen?"

"Mum...?" Albus stepped forward, out of Scorpius' hold with a second of difficultly. He crossed to his mother and enveloped her in a comforting hug. "James moved out right after he graduated. This is no different, except...I'm moving in with someone I love. I know you're scared that you're losing me. But you're not. I promise I'll visit. And you'll still have Lily for a couple more years." He gave her a charming smile, boring into her with those bright green eyes.

Ginny pulled away roughly, glaring over at the Malfoy boy. He returned her look with a sneaking wink as he took Al's hand. "I will _not_ stand by and let my boy be taken from me by such a _foul_ person!"

"You don't have a choice." Albus, dragging Scorpius along behind him, strode past her and up the stairs to his room. He locked the door behind him, falling against it with an overwhelmed sigh. The sounds of his parents fighting drifted through the floorboards. It was all he could do not to groan and fall into a pitiful clump on the floor.

"Very good show," Scorpius whispered into Albus' ear before pulling away and looking around his room. It was in a state of reckless abandon that caused his nose to wrinkle. He pulled a small bag from his pocket, setting it on the floor. After a careless wave of his wand, the contents of the room (albeit furniture) packed themselves neatly into the bag.

Albus watched, fascinated by the way everything fit into such a small space. Although he had grown up in the wizarding world, small things like this still amazed him. Especially when he was in such a rundown and haggard state. "Brilliant," he breathed as the last shoe slipped inside.

Chuckling, Scorpius effortlessly picked up the bag, drew its drawstrings, and slipped it into the other's hand. "It's a simple charm. It can fit everything you need and still remain as light as a pouch of Sickles."

The two stood in silence for a moment, listening as Ginny began screaming in her fury. By the sound of it, she wanted to go to the Minister. She wanted to have tests run on Albus to make sure he was fine. No matter how many ways Harry tried to get her to look at it, she couldn't see it the way Scorpius wanted her to. She could see right past his front of a boy hopelessly in love. His jaw squared tighter and tighter with every passing insult to his carefully laid precautions.

"Your mother is absolutely mad..."

Albus frowned, lightly gripping the door handle. He wanted so very much to run out into the sitting room and throw his arms around his Mum. To comfort her and tell her that everything was okay. But he was being held in this room by something more than fear of facing his parents again. He looked over at Scorpius, biting his lip. "Did you..." He cleared his throat and looked away as those icy eyes met his. "Earlier...before you came in... Did you...speak into my mind?" he questioned softly, frowning at just how ridiculous the accusation sounded on his tongue.

The laugh that Scorpius gave in return was startling, causing Albus to back up a few steps. He swallowed hard, surveying that terrifying beauty on every inch of him. "Speak into your mind? Oh, Albus, I thought you were smarter than that." The blonde followed his frantic getaway. "Are you scared? What scares you right now, Albus? That I might have access to your mind?" He tsked softly, catching up with Al and grabbing ahold of his jaw. He pulled their faces closer, murmuring quietly into the air between them, "You have nothing to fear with me, Albus. I may be able to get inside your head...but I would never truly harm you." As Albus tried to wrench his face away, Scorpius pressed their lips softly together.

Al thought again of the scratch on his nose. The way Scorpius was forcing him earlier. But just as he was trying to recall those images, they wiped away. They were replaced by soothing thoughts of his love and devotion to this man. A dopey grin slid over his face and he was compliant once more.

He was absolutely hopeless to try and fight the hold Scorpius had over him.


	5. you never should ever know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is based on "This is How I Disappear" by My Chemical Romance. Again, loose basis, but it still is. I also have a beta now! Her penname on fanfiction(dot)net is SincerelySeverus and I owe her LOTS of thanks! Um...I think that's it for this chapter. Hope you all enjoy, and I promise that next chapter should be less tease and more action :)

It had taken nearly an eternity for Harry to get Ginny to calm down. The shouting lasted for hours before the woman finally broke down and stalked out of the apartment. That was when Albus and Scorpius had made their break for it. With Harry's permission, they were allowed to escape to their new home.

The rest of the day passed by in the strangest blur. Albus sat by, watching house elves run around arranging new furniture and all of their belongings. They worked so hard that it almost made him feel guilty. And he would have if he didn't already feel regret for the state he'd put his mother in. She had looked so absolutely wrecked when he'd caught a glimpse of her sobbing halfway down the street before they had disapparated.

"Albus, stop moping," Scorpius chided, dropping down into the seat next to him on the plush, leather couch. It smelt and felt expensive and all too real. "We have everything we need right here in this house." He watched the elves working with an air of distaste and superiority that could not be matched.

Albus pulled his legs up next to him on the expensive pelt of the couch. "I'm not moping," he said quietly and lowered his eyes down to the couch. "I'm just..." It took a moment for him to sift through everything he was feeling to come up with the right description. There were too many emotions competing to win one another out.

"Overwhelmed." The whisper in his ear caused Albus to shiver softly. Scorpius bit softly at his earlobe, continuing to speak in his deliciously hushed tone. "I want you to come meet my grandfather. He may not take to you at first... But he will learn to respect you. He will learn that I _need_ you around." He pulled back, smiling genuinely at the green eyes that so tentatively met his colorless ones.

With a faint, almost shy grin in return, Albus accepted the proposal. "I would love to."

It had never really been his dream to meet Lucius Malfoy. Everything he had ever heard about the man was hateful. He was said to be arrogant and aristocratic beyond all reason. No one could stand him. But the thing most people talked about was how he used to be a follower of the late Dark Lord Voldemort. A very devout Death Eater, he tortured and killed many people. And once the war had ended, he got off absolutely free for the second time. It enraged most of Harry's coworkers and friends. However, none of them dared mention this in front of him, because Harry supported the Malfoys' exoneration.

The instant the man arrived, platinum hair flowing in his wake, Albus confirmed every bad word ever said about him. Lucius narrowed his eyes and looked down his nose at the Potter boy. "Clearly you are not serious, Scorpius." He turned around to look at his grandson, eyebrow raised.

"And if I was?" Scorpius crossed his arms, eyes narrowed dangerously. Never had Al seen someone so young have such an effect. One look from him had Lucius biting back words that would have been extremely tasteless. He merely threw a look over his shoulder at his grandson's lover and gave a soft nod assent. "That's what I thought." Scorpius stepped around the man, arm winding around Albus' waist. "Albus is the _one_. He is the only one who could ever make this work. If you cannot accept that, your treachery will be known. _Again_."

The last word Scorpius spoke was like frost sweeping through the air. It spoke of a danger Albus could never understand. He looked between the two Malfoys, wanting to question what they were speaking of. That action was out of his boundaries, however. He was unable to even speak the inquiry, forced to stand by and watch the exchange.

"The manor is looking rather presentable," said Lucius a long moment later, moving to survey the rooms that had been put together so far. There were so many in the house that Albus was unsure if they would ever all have a purpose. "No one knows you are here?"

"Just us." Scorpius let go of Albus, but there was an unspoken command for him to keep following. The three men walked up the stairs and down the hall to the farthest door on the landing. In front of a strong, sizeable fireplace sat a chair fit for a king. Though it was nothing particularly special to look at, there was an ominous feel to it. Al stepped forward and ran his fingers over the soft, faded green velvet. He had the urge to rub his cheek up against it, but restrained himself in light of his present company. "You like this chair, don't you Albus?" Gently, Scorpius slipped his hand over top of the other's upon the back of the chair.

Nervously giggling, Albus nodded and looked up at him. "I do. It's beautiful..."

"It's yours."

Albus brightened and sank down eagerly into the soft exterior of the chair. "Really?" Even with the confusion of being here with the Malfoy men's secrets, he couldn't help but to be excited. In front of a fire here in this room, in this chair, he could see himself curling up with a book. Falling asleep curled in front of the warmth. It would be perfect.

"Of course. It's just a dirty piece of old furniture," Scorpius scoffed, striding towards the window. He looked out, squinting down at the graveyard in the dark. "We can make this room your study." He waved over to the opposite end of the room, other hand coming up to cradle his temple gingerly. "Put a desk in...and maybe a few bookshelves. Just for you."

"Thank you," Albus breathed softly, standing and quickly crossing to hug his lover from behind. His face pressed into the other's back, beaming like a madman. No one had ever done something so generous for him. Aside from a bedroom in this manor, he would also have his own study. The gesture helped him forget any fears or worries he'd had previously.

Lucius scoffed, stalking out the door with a haughtiness that only he could pull off. "So touching, Scorpius...," echoed the words he left in his absence.

"I will not spare you just because you are my grandfather!" shouted Scorpius after him, smashing his fist against the glass. The older man's resonating laughter came to them from the passage, clearly not moved by the younger's threat. Scorpius glowered after him, his fist falling back down to his side.

Gently, Al wrapped his hand around the balled fingers. "Scorpius..."

"Your voice is awfully soothing," Scorpius murmured. He turned in the arms encircling him, smirking down at the boy with the bright green eyes. "Your innocent voice..." He groaned softly, forehead resting into his mess of hair. "Oh Albus..."

Albus smiled tenderly, leaning up to kiss the pale neck at his mercy. He bit softly into the flesh and suckled it affectionately. Under his ministrations, Scorpius made soft noises of appreciation. He fell back against the wall, gripping at the base of the windowsill to keep from falling to his knees. Their vaporous breaths mingled as Al continued his trail upwards until he reached the soft lips he craved so much. "I love you," he said quietly, pressing his body as close as it could get.

The next he knew, he was upon the ground. His lip was split and dripping blood onto the wood of the floor. His raised his eyes bit by bit until he was looking up at Scorpius, hurt and rejection plain in the shining orbs. He licked out at the droplets sheepishly, and then lowered his gaze to the floor.

Scorpius dropped to his knees in front of Albus. He for a long time merely stared at the way the red dripped down through the air. Then his hand came rushing towards Al, grabbing his jaw tightly like he had earlier that day. "I need you innocent, Albus. Don't go trying to change that."

"What does my loving you have to do with being so goddamn innocent?" Albus snapped, clearly angered at being cast aside so easily.

Scorpius lightly cupped the high arch of his cheekbone in his palm. His stray fingers lost themselves in the curls at the base of his temple. These gestures were so sweet and loving that Al nearly allowed himself to forgive him for the rough shove. Except the mocking words that fell from those tender lips he craved so badly were too bold to ignore. "Your innocence is imperative to my carefully laid plans. If things were any different, I'd have you right now with no hesitation. But I'm not allowed that luxury. I have to wait. And if you keep rubbing up against me like that, you're only going to make things more difficult for me. And once that piece of you is gone...your innocence... Well, I won't need you anymore, will I?"

The boy with the green eyes visibly flinched, wanting to tear his face away. That single statement hurt more than anything Scorpius had ever said or done. He could forgive the force he had displayed earlier in the graveyard. Could easily look past any small harms he had caused. It was even easy to push aside any other digs he had taken to Albus' fragile ego. But this was crossing some line he wasn't ready for.

He was being used.

"Oh don't look at me like that, Albus." Though he was making an attempt at being reassuring, Scorpius' voice was ice cold. "You didn't think you were something altogether special, did you? Truthfully, I could replace you with just about any other virgin out there. But I _did_ pick you... That is definitely something to be proud of." The lips that spoke so eloquently in their insults pressed up against Al's forehead. All he could feel was a taunting burn.

"Dinner is being served." Lucius watched them from the doorway, sneering down at the Potter on the floor. That was where a Potter belonged, in his opinion. Bleeding and helpless on his knees. The corner of his lip twitched upwards for a moment before he turned on his heel. Albus watched his cloak ripple through the hair with every retreating step. This sight only helped to reassure him that he was nothing more than a hand chosen pawn. He could feel it simply by the way the elder Malfoy carried himself.

Albus stood soundlessly, refusing to look up at Scorpius after the taller had pulled away. He felt so ashamed, visible by the blush dotting his cheeks. "I'm not hungry," he mumbled, taking a step back towards the safety of his chair.

"Suit yourself." Scorpius left in much the same manner as his grandfather, not giving Al a second glance.

Here in this room that was meant to be such an appealing gift, Albus felt the worst he ever had. He longed to be back at home, enveloped in his mother's embrace once again. He longed to feel wanted and loved again. He longed to feel _safe_ again.

He folded his legs up close to his chest, curling back into the chair as far as the fabric would allow him. It wasn't home, but it felt comforting in a way he couldn't explain. For just a few moments, because he couldn't risk Scorpius seeing should he return, Albus allowed himself to cry. But the tears were wiped away and gone as far as anyone could tell as soon as they had come.

Albus was stuck here. There was no doubt about it. He could not overpower Scorpius, and he wasn't sure he wanted to. There was a part of him that did actually care deeply for the other man. Whether that was something he felt on his own or not, he didn't really know. But it was there and he couldn't fight it. No matter how this turned out, he didn't regret moving in with Scorpius. The good things about him made up for those times when he was unnecessarily harsh.

This was the way he saw it, at least. Granted, he wasn't really thinking rationally at this point. He might not have even been thinking for himself.

Before he knew it, Al was drifting off to sleep against the red velvet. But in dreams he would find on solitude from confusion and fear.

~*~

_The smell of the room he was in this time was different. It was cleaner and without a metallic hue to it. But somewhere he still smelt dirt. He felt like he was underground. From the glimpses he took around the room, he came to assume he was in a basement._

_As he felt his dream-self lowering to the floor, the feel of salt beneath his fingers became apparent. He was sitting again in the star inside the circle made of salt on the floor. Just as he had in the last dream. But because he wasn't himself, he couldn't bring himself to be scared. He could only feel the emotions of the one he was in the dream._

_That person was feeling...excited._

_The chanting did not last as long this time. It only took a few minutes before the strange, presumably Latin, words died out. A creeping feeling came upon him. It inched up his skin and he could sense a presence in the room. A dark presence. If he had been there in person, he would have shivered and probably run away. For some reason, he felt this was not a presence to be messed with._

_The person he was in the dream did not share his feelings. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile. He then tipped back his head, arms outstretched. Welcoming the thing to come forward. And forward it came. Forward until it was right in front of him. Until it was in him._

_A cold, unwelcome chill flowed through his whole being. It wasn't like a shudder because it didn't go away. It was a gloom he couldn't shake away so easily. It lingered and seemed to move through him in churning, restless waves. It chilled him down to the bone in a way he wished he could forget but knew he never would._

_"My Lord..." His dream voice was deep and masculine, but familiar. It was a voice he had longed to hear for the past week. One that he had heard all day. And right now it was filled with a longing that was unmatchable. Something eerie and made up of complete desire._

_Another voice resonated through the air. He tried to pick up on the source, but it was hopeless. It seemed to be coming from a hidden, foreign place. But it was too...close to be far off. It hissed, "How much longer?" Patience was obviously not something this being valued too much. His hasty words were mixed with a frustration that far exceeded normal._

_"The new moon will be at its fullest potential in two nights, my Lord. We will complete the ritual then."_

_As the other voice spoke again, it became apparent that it was indeed hidden. But its hiding place was not one of the shadowy corners of the basement. It was hiding deep inside who he was in the dream. The words came from his mouth. The spirit was inside of him. He wanted to stand and shake it out. Get rid of the evil fingerprints it was leaving inside of him. Except he wasn't himself and had no control over this body whatsoever, so to try would have been pointless._

_"Everything must be fully prepared. I want no mistakes! You only have one shot at this, young Malfoy. Do not fail."_

_Leaving those ominous and threatening words behind, the life-force roughly detached itself from his soul. He doubled over, palms flat on the ground. The salt dug into his hands and he found that he needed to pull deep breaths in to clear his head. "Everything will be perfect," he whispered, fisting the salt in his hands._

~*~

Gasping in fear, Albus sat straight up. His eyes were wild, watching the dream play in his mind over and over again. It was on a constant loop. He couldn't shake it. It was a lingering image he couldn't force himself to let go of.

"Nightmare?"

Albus jumped and turned, the feeling of silk under his fingers a stark contrast to the way he remembered the salt feeling. Scorpius lay beside him on a rather large bed. Even through the hazy light of early morning, his smirk was all-too-evident. He seemed amused and Al wondered if he knew what the Potter boy had witnessed last night. If he was aware of the inadvertent spying that had been done on him. The other gave no sign of whether he had or not, causing a worrying knot to build in Al's stomach.

He was almost certain that wasn't something he was supposed to be seeing.

"What am I doing...in here?" he whispered, sitting up in the bed and looking around the room. He didn't remember it at all from when they were setting up. But, his things were all in here. On the floor against the opposite wall leaned his trunk. He could clearly see the gold letters of his initials as the new sun streamed light onto them. A few more knick-knacks of his were strewn around the bedroom. However, he could also see things that didn't belong to him. A top-notch broom stood in the corner and expensive robes hung in the wardrobe. "I fell asleep in my study," he said softly, shifting his gaze back to Scorpius.

The blonde shrugged and readjusted himself on his stack of pillows. "You looked uncomfortable. I brought you to our room a few hours ago." He smiled softly, long lashes closing to kiss his pale skin.

Albus sank back down in the sheets, clutching his own pillows tight as he watched Scorpius. "Our room?" he questioned gently. That would explain the mix of their things. Though he wasn't sure how he felt about sharing a room with a man he'd been so ready to hate a few, short weeks ago.

"Yes, our room." Scorpius shifted a little closer, reaching out to capture Al's hand with his. He brought it to his lips momentarily for a lingering kiss. Then he beamed once more as he set it back down upon the lavish mattress.

With the way he was acting now, Albus couldn't help but to recall on a week ago. Scorpius had started off so nice with him... He'd given him a gift, walked him home, helped him when he got sick, and stayed the night with him out of genuine concern. He hadn't realized how much he missed that side of the other until now. Until he was acting like that once more. A flickering twitch lifted his own lips and he felt a faint blush dotting his cheeks. "Scorpius?" he whispered softly, not wanting to disturb the quiet peace of the morning.

"Hm?"

"Thank you." Albus turned to his other side, backing up until he and Scorpius were spooning. He took the other's strong arms and wrapped them around himself. Like this, he felt safe and comforted. He felt like this was an entirely different universe than the one he'd been abused in the night before. Or the one that housed his realistic nightmares.

Scorpius tightened his hold on the dark-haired man, grazing his lips over his neck. "What on earth for?" There was a hint of amusement to his tone. It was light and airy, causing Al's stomach to bubble with excitement.

"For... Well, I'm not really sure." Albus laughed, his fingers running circles over the pale flesh of the muscled arms that held him so securely. "I guess...for caring for me. For bringing me here. To this house...to this room. I don't know. Just...thank you."

Slender fingers found the gold chain hanging from Albus' neck. He vaguely recalled that he'd not removed the necklace in the past week. Scorpius pinched the gold, running his fingers over the length for a moment. "Why do you wear it?" he asked curiously upon releasing the chain.

It fell back upon the other's chest and he turned to face his lover. "You gave it to me. I might not like Quidditch...but you do. So it means something to me." He allowed himself the bravery of stealing a brief kiss.

Smirking, Scorpius leaned in and dominated the smaller man. He plunged his fingers up into the messy hairline. His other hand closed around the small Snitch around his neck, twirling it between his slender digits. Slowly, he brought his lips down to the sharp line of his jaw, over the sensitive flesh of his neck, and to the hollow of his throat. Al watched with a soft gasp as Scorpius' tongue flicked out, pulling the metal ball into his mouth.

The clinking that came from that hot, wet cavity caused Albus to shudder happily. He groaned, reaching out to run the pad of his thumb over the other's bottom lip. Scorpius stuck his tongue out, the Snitch sitting on the center of the tip. Its wings were opening lazily, stretching in the saliva that soaked its surface.

Albus grinned delightedly, probing his fingers gently into the blonde's mouth. He pulled the Snitch out. "How... How did you do that? It never opened for me before." His calculating eyes observed the ball as it fluttered its wings. It rose up into the air, hovering just inches about his palm.

"Snitches have flesh memories. It helps to settle disputes during matches." Scorpius sat up, moving to sit against the headboard. He watched the Snitch lazily as it tried to escape. But the gold chain prevented its getaway. "I was the first one to touch this Snitch."

"The first thing you touched it with was your...mouth?" Albus chuckled and closed his hand around the ball of gold.

With a saucy wink, Scorpius leaned into speak directly into the other's ear. "My tongue..." Said appendage came snaking out from between his teeth, flicking lightly at Al's earlobe. "What was your nightmare about?" he asked probingly.

The light touch tickled his skin and Albus found himself laughing quite childishly. Before he could stop himself, he said, barely audible, "You." He regretted the words the moment they were out of his mouth. Eyes wide, he sat up straighter and waited for whatever reaction he would get from his company.

Scorpius' expression changed in the matter of seconds. A dark curtain fell over his eyes as he pulled away from Albus, eyes narrowed. "Me?" He flung his legs over the edge of the bed, striding to the rocking chair sitting not three feet from the bed. After donning an abandoned undershirt, he finally gave Al more of a visible response. "And what was I doing in this damned nightmare? Was I harming you?"

"No." Albus crawled out of the bed desperately, reaching his arm out to touch Scorpius' shoulder. When the other pulled away sharply, he felt the need to elaborate. "No, it wasn't! You said you won't hurt me... I believe you. I have no reason to dream of thoughts I don't have."

"Then what was it?" Scorpius growled, turning his slate grey eyes on him. They oozed a look of danger and something like disappointment.

A churning started in Albus' stomach as he pondered just what to reveal. He wasn't sure he should speak of what he'd seen. It was obvious he wasn't supposed to be having these dreams. That is, if they were real. If they weren't...he had nothing to worry about, right? He worried at his lip, speaking in a scolded mutter. "I dreamt of... Of you in a basement. In a circle and star made of salt. And it was like...you were possessed or something. I'm not sure what it was. But it was just a dream!"

"You saw _what_?" Scorpius rounded completely on Albus, taking his upper arms in a vice grip. "How did you see this?"

Albus was speechless, sinking towards the ground a little bit. He wanted to escape the harsh hold upon his arms. "I... I don't know," he whimpered. "It's just a nightmare... Right?"

A flash of red shifted over those silver pools before Scorpius pushed Al roughly onto the bed. Without a single retort, he strode from the room, slamming the door behind him. This left Albus to regret mentioning the dream, his arms and heart aching so hard he felt he would die.


	6. discomfort, endlessly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to warn that the violience in this fic is going to only get worse from this chapter on. There will be quite controversial type violence in chapters to come. But stick with us, it's well worth the read and it's just getting good. As far as the song basis for this one goes, it's once again rather loose. I didn't have one in mind while writing, so I found one that I thought worked the best. So! it's "Crawling" by Linkin Park, mostly because I relate the creepiness of it to this chapter. Anyway, enjoy and read on!

_Albus,_

_Wherever you are, I hope you are safe. Your mother and I have been worrying about you ceaselessly. But I cannot stop you from doing what you feel is right._

_However, I can't seem to get that dream of yours out of my head. If it feels as real as you made it sound, I beg for you to remain cautious. Something feels off about this. And I can't honestly say that I trust Scorpius a hundred percent. Draco says he's been acting strange lately._

_Basically, all I'm asking of you is to be careful. Feel free to write me with any concerns you have._

_We miss you terribly._

_Love,_

_Your father_

Albus stared at the letter in his hand, absently stroking his father's dark-colored owl. He hadn't spoken to or even seen Scorpius since the day before. The letter that came for him was the first contact he'd had with anyone but house elves since then. But it did nothing to raise his spirits. If anything, he felt more defeated than ever.

Sighing deeply, he set the letter aside. The owl flew out the open window of his study and soon it was camouflaged in the cloudless, evening sky. Though he should have been elated to hear from his family, the letter had done nothing to calm him. He had been on edge since yesterday morning, questioning everything. Why he'd come here. Why he had abandoned his family for a guy he hardly knew. Why he was so willing to do anything said guy asked.

_Albus...._

Eyes wide, Albus turned quickly. He searched for the source of the whisper but came up short. No one was in his study. Frowning, he moved a few steps away from the window and sank heavily into his chair.

_Albus...._

He whipped his head around again. But once more he found nothing. The only thing he saw was a black journal sitting neatly upon his empty desk. Carefully, he stood and crept closer, reaching out to run his fingers over the hole in its leather surface. "What in Merlin's name is this?" he muttered, wrinkling his nose at the ink and water-stained pages. "It's hideous..."

"Albus!"

Tired of hastily whirling around, he took his time looking over at the door. Scorpius stood in the doorway, eyes narrowed at the way Al prodded the book. Rolling his eyes, Albus lowered his eyes back down to his fingers. He ignored the presence of the blonde, still hurt from being ignored for the last day and a half.

"Albus, look at me."

The command rang through Al's mind. He found he couldn't ignore it, immediately moving his eyes over to Scorpius' direction. They were slit in anger, however, showing plainly the anger he held. "What?" he snapped.

"Don't speak to me like that." The click of Scorpius' dress shoes on the floor rang loud in Al's ears. "I wanted to talk to you." He wrapped his arm around the shorter man's waist from behind, kissing his temple. When Albus cringed away, he pulled him closer. "I have special plans for us tonight. It is very important that you come down with me right now. And I would prefer that you were willing. I'm not in the mood to be forceful today."

"How wonderful for you," Albus said softly and attempted to pull out of the other's hold. However, the grip was too tight and he couldn't get away. "Come on, Malfoy. Let me go." He reached out to grip the desk, yanking himself forward.

The muscles of Scorpius' arms rippled as he jerked Albus back towards him. A smirk played upon his lips; he was clearly enjoying this. "Albus," was his gentle coo, fingers going white as they tightened on Al's hips. "I'm not letting go. So you might as well stop struggling."

Tired and unwilling to fight, Albus sighed and relaxed back against him. "Fine," he said quietly, eyes lowering to the floor. He felt so weak. He wasn't sure exactly what it was that always made him give in. Part of him thought it was the way Scorpius could get into his head. But he didn't feel like he was being controlled. He felt like he had this desire down deep to _actually_ be with him. That he _wanted_ to do these things for him because...maybe he really was in love.

"Thank you." Scorpius gently guided the other to turn around. They were now looking directly at one another and Al could see he was clearly underdressed. He still wore the clothes he'd fell asleep in two nights ago. The blonde, however, was dressed to the nine. He had on a set crisp, clean dress robes. There was not a single flaw to him. His hair was slicked back impeccably and his shoes were shiny as mirrors. Catching the way he was being looked over, said man smiled and did a little, masculine twirl to show off his elegance better. "Does my appearance please you, Albus?"

Throat suddenly going dry, Albus nodded slowly. He reached out, fingers ghosting over the shiny snakes dancing on his lapel pins. "You Slytherins and your snakes...," he said with a raptured chuckle.

"They are a symbol of power that you would never understand." Though his words were condescending, Scorpius didn't say them with any bite at all. He merely continued to grin down at the other man, enjoying his curiosity and delight. "Now, I want you to go back to our room, Albus." He lifted Al's chin, delicately pressing a kiss to his lips. "The elves have laid out your clothes. Get dressed and come down to the dining room. I have a surprise for you."

"O-okay..." Albus couldn't help the burble of excitement that filled him. He watched Scorpius leave after snatching up the decimated journal, and then rushed out of the room and up a floor to their bedroom. Upon the bed lay a set of magnificent dress robes. Better than any he'd ever seen. He ran his fingers greedily over the material of the cloak itself, thrilled at the way it gave so easily. Like water. The bottle green color would do wonders to bring out his eyes. And he knew he would never be able to resist touching the silk upon the cuffs every few minutes.

He dressed as if his life depended on it. And when he'd finished, he couldn't help but to stare at himself in the full length mirror in their bathroom. He looked _good_. He could see now why well-to-do families dressed so nicely. If they could afford it, why not? It surely paid off...

It took a good while for him to pull himself away from his reflection. When he did, however, he found he couldn't get down the stairs fast enough. He even managed to slip on a stair before thinking he may need to be a bit more refined. For the rest of the way, he descended in hasty, yet careful, footsteps.

Once downstairs, he gently tiptoed over to the dining room. The door was open so he was readily able to peak his head around the corner. What caught his eye first, though, were not the plates covered by silver lids, the glasses of expensive wine, the sound of orchestral music permeating the air, nor the dim and intimate candlelight bathing everything. Instead, he focused directly on the scene of Scorpius yelling at a small house elf.

"I _told_ you to bring the diary to _my_ study!" Scorpius' hand collided roughly with the back of the elf's head. The small creature cowered away from him, not daring to meet his eyes. "You're a worthless piece of shit!" This time when he struck the creature, it fell back against the wall with a resounding thud.

Gasping, Albus stepped into the room and made a strangled noise of protest.

The elf, who couldn't have been more than a youngling, pushed off the wall resolutely and nodded. "Master is correct. Snivy is worthless." He hung his head appropriately.

Most house elves these days weren't treated as such. Thanks to Albus' aunt Hermione, they had decent rights now. They were paid, had vacations, were allowed to press charges against wizards. But there were still some families – mostly Pureblood – who didn't adhere to these changes in law. They had been treating their servants horrendously for ages. A Mudblood and her desperate plea for equal rights meant nothing to them. Even though he knew this, Albus couldn't help but to be shocked at the way this one was treated. It was young. If it were human, he was sure it would only equal out to a toddler.

Scorpius gave a small flick of his gaze in Al's direction, still holding the harsh glare he'd been shooting at the elf. It warned him to be silent before he looked away again. "Get out of my sight, vermin." He turned his back on the creature as it hobbled out of the room, holding its arm tenderly. The limb seemed to be at a funny angle just above its elbow.

Gingerly, Albus intercepted the house elf. He smiled kindly when it shied away in response. "I won't hurt you." Pulling his wand from his pocket, he took the arm in his palm. One quick, nonverbal spell and the break of Snivy's bone was mended. "Run along." The elf didn't need telling twice. It looked up at Al with admiration for a brief second before taking off.

"You're too soft," Scorpius said quietly, watching the record spin on the player with mild amusement playing at his lips.

Albus crossed the room, arms folded over his chest. He looked up at Scorpius and shook his head slowly. "That was...uncalled for. That house elf? It's young. Very. Young. And you broke the poor thing's arm."

Laughing, like this was the most amusing situation in the world, Scorpius looked back over to him. "If you keep messing with its head like that, it won't listen to me anymore. We are both its master, understand? I want you to stop coddling the vile creature." Al opened his mouth to protest and point out the flaws of his behavior, but Scorpius held up his hand. "Shh. We're not going to argue over this. Understand? We're going to sit down and enjoy our date."

"Date?"

"That is what I had planned for us," Scorpius intoned, a little frustrated. "You do know what a date is, hm? You've been on dates, right?"

Albus sighed and dumped himself into one of the set places. "Yes, I've been on dates. I had a girlfriend. Remember? The one who cheated on me the night I nearly threw up in your mouth? On my birthday?"

Smirking, Scorpius took the other chair. "Yes, I remember. The boorish Longbottom girl..." He reached out, fingers folding delicately around the wine glass in front of him.

"I thought you didn't drink," Albus chided, watching him take a mannered sip of the glass's blood-red contents.

"Having a couple glasses of wine with a fine dinner is different than going to a bar and getting drunk off my ass." Scorpius lifted the cover from his meal, leaning down to take a hearty sniff. Neatly arranged upon his plate was a pasta dish covered in a white sauce and chicken chunks. Just looking at it caused Al's mouth to water. He removed his own lid, dismayed to find his plate empty. Biting his lip, he looked up at the other as he speared a bite and pulled it between his lips. A devious grin played in those grey eyes as he watched Albus' reaction. "Would you like some, as well?" he asked, as if it were a strange notion to consider.

Gritting his teeth, Albus stood. He crossed over to the blonde, coming up behind him with his arms around his neck. "I was under the impression we were on a date," he whispered, unable to take his eyes off the meal. "That means you and I _both_ have dinner...correct?"

The hand unoccupied by the fork reached up to lace its fingers with Albus'. Scorpius tipped his head back, smirking proudly up at him. Then winked. The fork hovered on its own, out of the pale hand and up towards Al's lips. Slowly, the Potter boy leaned forward and took the hearty bite off the end. He chewed, smiling down at his date, then reached for the other's glass and took a sip. "Am I just here so you have someone to tease?"

"Pretty much."

The men ate the rest of their meal in almost silence. They took turns feeding from the ever-filling plate of pasta until neither one could stand another bite. When they had finished, Albus dropped down into a chair closer to his date. His smile was genuine as he looked him over. This was definitely a good way to make up for their fight yesterday morning. Even if they hadn't quite discussed the reason for their clash...

"Scorpius?" Albus asked gently, watching the blonde relax back in his chair. His eyes were closed and there was a haunt of a smile to him as he listened to the classical music that still filled the room. He merely hummed a noise to show he was listening, but didn't otherwise move. "Are you...still upset with me? Over the dream thing? Because, you know, I couldn't help it! And... Weren't they just...nightmares?"

A long span of silence was all that greeted Al at first. It lasted so long, he began to get nervous. He picked at the silk of the dark green tablecloth, biting at his lip. It was rather bold after such a nice, romantic dinner to ask such a thing. To bring it all up again, just when things were getting back to being decent, if not good.

"It wasn't salt."

Eyebrows raised, Albus looked up at Scorpius. "What?" he breathed, half afraid.

"It wasn't salt. The pentacle. It wasn't made of salt. That would be ridiculous." Scorpius made an amused noise and sat up a bit in his chair. He lifted his lashes, putting his intense gaze onto Al. "It was crushed crystals. It helps to increase the ease of channeling spirits."

Albus was quite caught off guard by the sudden flow of information. He wasn't sure what to do with it. "Oh... S-spirits?" This new wave of conversation was very foreign to him. He knew of ghosts. Everyone in the wizarding world knew of ghosts. They had roamed the halls of Hogwarts without question. But spirits was something different. That was reaching into another world. It was dangerous and dark, which really put him on his toes.

"Albus, there is no need to be scared..." Scorpius stood and captured his lover's hands. He pulled him up out of the chair and into his arms. "This isn't the time to talk about this," he whispered, walking them back towards the record player. He fidgeted with it for a moment, changing the song a couple times before focusing on the right one. "Right now...I just want to dance with you." He wrapped one arm around Al's waist, the other guiding the Potter boy's hand towards his own shoulder.

"To this?" Albus wrinkled his nose in distaste, the harpsichord resounding within him. His style of music was...not this. He would rather sit down and drown his senses with the Weird Sisters than listen to...whatever this was. "Can't we just put the wire on?"

Clearly not satisfied, Scorpius rolled his eyes and resolutely put them into a waltzing pose. "This is Telemann's _Orchestra Suite in G_ , Albus. It is the perfect dance song. You do know how to dance, don't you?" His tone criticized just the _thought_. And the disgust only grew at Al's slow, unsure shake of the head. "Excuse me? Did those parents of yours teach you _nothing_?" He snorted, reaching over to restart the song. "I guess I'll just have to teach you."

Before Albus could even make a noise of protest, they were spinning. The movements were carefree and easy. He found he had no problem keeping up with the elaborate steps, twirls, and movements even though he had never gone through them in his life. With Scorpius it just felt so...natural. A gentle smile appeared on his lips as they danced through the dining room, around the table and weaving through their chairs. He even chanced a small laugh. But this didn't make his partner angry as he had feared. Instead, the Malfoy shared in his joy and gently eased them to a halt.

"What?" Scorpius whispered taking steps forward, forcing Albus to back up against the wall. "What's so funny?" He rested their foreheads together, the sweat of their mild workout teaming together.

Albus gently raised his hand to the platinum hair, pushing the wet locks by his temple back behind his ear. "Nothing's funny. I just... Well, that was fun. I was having fun. Weren't you?"

Their eyes met, emerald upon silver, and it was like nothing else in the world mattered right now. Because they were here. It was just them. No one else was around to criticize whatever they had going on here. And...well, the best part of it was that nothing strange was going on. This was simple. This relationship; this love. They were together and having fun and it was all that they really needed to be happy. This. This right here.

When Scorpius' lips pressed up against Albus' this time, it was like their first kiss should have been. Not needy or lustful, but rooted in something more sincere. It made Albus almost feel like a virgin child again, testing the waters of sexuality. Something bubbled gleefully in the pit of his stomach as he tenderly kissed back.

"What you're feeling right now won't last..."

Slow and unsure, Albus opened his eyes. He hadn't even realized he'd closed them, sinking into absolute bliss. "What?" he asked softly, tracing the line of Scorpius jaw.

"You heard me." Scorpius' tone was harsh. All traces of kindness and enjoyment from a moment ago were gone. It had happened so fast, Albus almost felt like he had whiplash.

"Scor... Can we just have one moment of happiness? One true moment? I feel like every time I try to enjoy something, you have to butt in and smash it to pieces. All I'm asking is for this one moment so I have something to remember the next time to you decide to haul off and hit me again."

Albus was surprised by his own forwardness. He blinked, the words echoing in the air. He knew he had said them. They had come from his own mouth; they were spoken in his own voice. But he couldn't quite grasp that he had come right now and said something that seemed so forbidden. Against the wall, he shrank a little bit into himself. He was awaiting the blow, some sort of retaliation, to come.

However, the only thing to follow was a mutter against his ear – "Remember your innocence." – plagued by a perturbing chuckle.

A heavy black curtain descended over Albus' eyes just then. He crashed to his knees upon the hard, wood floor as his vision blurred into darkness. A weak groan left him, but he found that the sound didn't quite reach his ears. Nothing did. It was like they were going dead. Like every bit of him was becoming inactive. He attempted to crawl forward, scared of the utter failure he was experiencing in his body.

~*~

A familiar smell hit Albus' nose as he found himself stirring. He sighed, blinking his eyes gently and attempting to rouse himself. But when he tried to reach up to rub away the sleep, he found that his arms would not move. Alarm radiated through him, causing his process of awakening to quicken. "Wha...?" He tugged his hands, but they would not break free.

The fear of being tied up caused him to take in his surroundings better. The smell he'd recognized was dirt. And it was a scent he'd rather not think about because with it came fear. The last time he had smelt this was in his last nightmare. But the surroundings did not match. The dream had taken place in a dark, dusky basement. Right now, however, he could clearly see the sky and the sliver that he barely perceived to be the moon.

"Sit still. You'll hurt yourself."

Albus jumped, searching wildly for the voice. A flame flared and caught on a purple candle, illuminating the pale face of his lover. The fiery glow made him seem sinister, and the way he was grinning down at Albus really didn't help. "What's going on?" he asked, his voice hoarse as he attempted to move again. His arms scraped against stone, causing him to frown. Once more, he took in the area around him. As he realized what he was tied to, his location became clearer. This was the graveyard down the hill from their manor. He could just barely make out other headstones and the tip of the house against the sky. "Scorpius? Why am I tied to a gravestone?"

"I told you – I have big things planned. You're part of my plans, Albus. This, here, is all part of my plans." The candle did wonders to light up Scorpius' sinister smile before he lifted his wand. The earth beneath Albus shook harshly for a moment, causing him to whimper at the thought of what might come.

The earth beneath Albus' feet rose up in one large clump. He found his legs dangling over an edge that he assumed extended down at least six feet. Swallowing hard, he flicked his gaze up at Scorpius for a moment, then back down. The dirt fell somewhere behind him, but it didn't hold his attention for long. He was more worried over the creak of the coffin below opening. His breath came in short gasps, causing his head to swim when he perceived what was below.

Naturally, he was not a very squeamish man. However, something about the shining grey corpse below gave him a reason for fear. Especially once he caught sight of the way Scorpius looked at it. Like...he was completely captivated and hypnotized by it.

"Don't be afraid, Albus... Everything will be perfect soon enough." Albus found this hard to believe as Scorpius withdrew a shining silver knife from his robes. With hasty, yet measured, steps, the man crossed to the head of the grave where Al was tied down. "Just hold still. This will be over before you know it."

A searing pain tore through Albus' calf before he could even grasp what was happening. Scorpius smirked up at him as his face contorted in agony, tears streaming down his cheeks before he could stop them. He held the knife up by its handle, surveying the thick blood stained upon the blade. "I love watching you bleed," he whispered, sitting beside Albus on the edge of the grave. He looked down into the hole, then back up to the other man. "Now try to be quiet. I have work to do."

Scorpius raised the knife up into the air, barely dangling it by the handle from his forefinger and thumb. " _Sic vos liberabit vos vivere_ ," he hissed softly into the still night. A whistle of the air sounded as the blade sliced through the air. Through his crying, Albus was unable to see where it had gone. But the dull crack that came from below gave a good indication that it had landed in bone. " _Immortui_." Another thunk sounded into the pit after Scorpius pulled something rectangular from his robes.

Before he could even begin to question what it had been, a weak whimper came from Albus as his leg was roughly grasped and forced straight out over the grave. " _Et bibetis sanguinem innocentem purus vitae iunxit_." Scorpius squeezed harshly upon the slit he had created on the underside of the Potter boy's lower leg. His head swam a little, becoming dizzy from improper breathing and the loss of blood. But he forced himself to remain awake. He was terrified of what may happen if he were to close his eyes.

" _Adhaerere resurrectionem_." Scorpius dropped the leg and stuck his candle in the dirt on the other side of Albus before raising his wand. With a flick, he shot flames into the hole beneath. The casket and corpse both caught fire, but they didn't burn normally. The blaze shone in a deep emerald color, bringing shakes to Albus' limbs as he thought of the tales he heard of the sinister Killing Curse.

Scorpius gave one last look towards Albus that he could see all-too-clearly through his haze. He grinned with triumph and victory. A sinister chill rose up the other's back and he wished so badly that he could run away. That he had never followed the beautiful, blonde man here.

But, more than anything, he found himself wishing, that his father were here. All those stories of his fight against evils he could never have dreamed of caused him to long for the safety of his power.

" _Dominus ortum, accipere retro potentia_!" In a blast that knocked Albus' head back against the headstone, the fire beneath exploded. Bright lights dotted his vision, adding to his disorientation. For just a second he closed his eyes, hoping it would somehow make all of this go away. He was ready to be rid of it all.

Of course, he could not be allowed such a comfort.

So thrown by this whole endeavor was Albus that he didn't even attempt to mask his scream as he felt a hand upon his injured leg. He attempted to kick out, but the grip was too strong. Breath shaky, he ventured a look down. In the end, he wished he hadn't. A ghost-white face housing deep red eyes, and a slitted nose stared up at him for one moment before hissing low. Thin, lifeless lips enclosed around his cut and that was when he chose to close his eyes. The feeling of the blood being pulled from his leg was enough.

Slowly, as if it were a dream, unconsciousness began to set in. It was a welcome feeling, being about to clock out of this reality he so wished was his overactive mind. So he let his head rest back against the stone, quitting his struggle for release. He gave in to the dark just as he heard a desperate shout of, "I need him alive!"

The last thing he remembered of that terrible night was the wish for this to be the end. He didn't care who exactly needed him alive right now. All he wanted was to be dead. Then, maybe, he wouldn't have to face what he had just helped create.


	7. moment of truth in your lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're interested in becoming my beta, send me a message ;) I lost mine after the chapter before this and would love to have one if anyone is interested.  
> The song we are based on this time is "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls.  
> As always, hope you enjoy.

Albus decided he would never wake again. He was terrified of the thought. So, he forced himself into a dream-like coma. He could sleep deeply without needing to move one bit, but still able to understand the world around him at the same time. This allowed him to remain a part of the horrors, but not have to face them.

From the moment his mind became conscious, he realized that something was terribly off. The air of the room he was in was cold and uninviting. He could tell by the silk under his naked legs that he was most likely in 'his' bedroom. It made him a little uneasy, yet comfortable at the same time. At least the house elves were keeping him warm and fed by magical means.

The only comfort Al had was this room and he was determined never to leave. That was before the bad started to come to him.

"I really wish you'd wake up..."

Albus almost broke cover the moment he heard Scorpius' voice for the first time since passing out. He nearly jumped right out of bed and ran away from the other man. But something told him this was safer. If he ran, Scorpius would surely catch up. And then he'd have to face what he'd help create that night.

"You're missing all the action, you know. A lot... A lot happening here." Scorpius let out a deep sigh and Albus soon felt the pressure of someone sitting beside him on the bed. Following this was a gentle kiss to his forehead that he was so tempted to pull away from. He felt dirty when this man touched him now. That night in the graveyard had tainted everything.

After a few moments of silence, Scorpius shifted his weight on the bed. He gingerly pushed Albus out of the middle, and then snuggled up behind him. Arm draped around his chest and legs tangled together. "Albus you need to know something," he whispered softly into the ear of the sleeping man. "I don't know if you can hear me or...or not. But I want you to know something important. I want you to know that I really do love you."

Scorpius' laugh was breathy and watery, almost like he was crying. "I would probably never admit this to you if you were awake, but I'm serious. I didn't mean to love you. You were just supposed to be this...innocent child that I manipulate. I watched you for years, making sure you were the right one. I just...never expected to fall for you.

"And I know I'm harsh. I'm an abusive ass. That's just me. I learned everything I know from my grandfather, really. My own father didn't even know _how_ to be a father to me. So he pawned me off. He let his father raise me. So let's blame that on parenting. Let's blame it on the stress of having to plan this huge thing I've done. Let's blame it on...the fact that I love the taste of tears and blood. I'm sick. But I feel like you could learn to love that, if you don't already."

As Scorpius spoke, Albus became very aware of the wound on his leg. He remembered the pain the other had caused him that night. The smile he'd had when he was hurting him, it was disgusting. How could he ever love something so monstrous?

"I took the spell off of you. I bet you didn't even know you were under one, hm? No...no, you wouldn't have. It was too clean. Maybe there were moments where you doubted your love for me. But you never would have suspected a spell. I took it off before the ritual. I don't know why, but I thought it was important for you to think for yourself, I guess. I bet that's why you're in this perpetual sleep, huh?"

Albus could feel those pale, thin fingers playing in his hair. Inside he shuddered. He wanted to cry. This was more than just manipulation. It was cruel. He didn't want to be some rich jerk's puppet!

"I know what you're thinking, Albus. You're angry with me. And you'd have every right. Truth is, I was terrified. I felt like if I didn't force your hand a bit, you'd run off. Run back to that awful girlfriend of yours and neglectful family. And I couldn't let that happen!" Scorpius clenched his fingers tight around the dark locks for a few moments before he forced himself to relax. "Sorry...

"Look. I know you're destined for something bigger than what you were doing. A job at the ministry? Working for that damned _minister_? I couldn't have it. That's why I had grandfather intervene. Again, you'll be angry. But I just had to do it. I couldn't let you rot at his side. You need to be able to bloom. At my side, you can do that. That's why I did it, my love."

There was a red-hot warmth spreading through Albus. He couldn't understand it, though. It felt so much like anger. At the same time, he was semi-happy. These things Scorpius was saying were beautiful. Yet the things he had _done_ were horrible enough to almost mask them.

"While I'm on a rant of truth...there's more I should tell you. I can't tell you everything, but I suppose I could trust you with a few of my secrets. Chances are you don't even know what I'm saying right now. So what's the harm?"

Though he was angry, Al still waited on bated breath to hear these secrets. He was curious what Scorpius had to say. Though he was unsure if anything would be said at all. It had to have been at least five minutes of silence passing before the other even made a move to speak. Or maybe it just felt like that because his skin was itching from waiting.

"Do you remember when I went on holiday to my grandparents' house? Of course you do...," Scorpius said at last. He pulled his arm away from Albus and seemed to sit up against the headboard. Al hated himself for it, but he missed the touch the moment it was gone. "Well, it really wasn't much of a holiday. I didn't even leave the house. I didn't leave the basement. Truth is...when I was down there, I was working another ritual. You see...for things to work right this time, we have to take precautions. We have to make sure we're a step ahead of the game. So I did this ritual that allows me, over the course of a week, to see visions of how a person will die. A specific person, not just one at random. That's why I had to be away from you for so long. It had to be done. And when it was done, it was dangerous to be out and about. You see, the visions hit quickly. They don't give a warning or time to react. So for my own safety, I locked myself away. And I learned so much..."

This talk of rituals made Albus feel very hollow inside. This was a specific kind of dark magic that was not to be toyed with. But it sounded as if Scorpius had been doing this for years. He knew what he was doing. And it definitely showed that night in the graveyard. He had been so sure of himself.

What had he gotten himself mixed up in?

Silence at this time didn't seem right anymore. Albus was done hiding. He was no longer under whatever devotion spell Scorpius had put him under. He could think freely and wanted to fully exercise this.

Quietly, he opened his eyes and allowed himself a peek up at the other man. There were dark circles under Scorpius' silver eyes and he looked recklessly gaunt. As hard as he tried, he couldn't help but to feel a certain level of sympathy for him. It was something he tried to ignore as his lips formed their first words for days. "Is this the only time you'll talk to me? The only time you'll tell me the truth? When you don't think I'm listening?"

Startled, Scorpius turned to look at Albus with sparks in his eyes. For a moment, his face changed its expression about a hundred different times. In the end, however, he settled on a slightly frustrated look of surprise. "You've been awake...this whole time..."

"You didn't answer my question."

Scorpius must have noticed the resolute tone Albus had taken on, for he sighed deeply. He wasn't willing to play along anymore. He didn't want to be the damn puppy always following the other's orders. Now that he had a choice, he was making the most of it. "Yes," he said quietly, pulling his legs out of the bed and onto the floor. For a long moment he merely stared down at the wood, hands fisted in the sheets. But once they relaxed their angry grip, he stood and crossed towards the door quickly. "You'll have to start learning now that I am not a...touchy-feely kind of person, Albus. Cold Malfoy blood runs through my veins. My family as a whole isn't one for sharing. Chalk it up to nature... Or maybe a lack of nurture." He shook his head, still not looking at the other man. His hand resting on the doorway was the only thing still grounding him to the room. "I would also prefer you not lie to me again. Your condition..."

Slowly, finally, the steely eyes made their way over to the vivid green ones glaring over at him. For what seemed like ages, they only stared at each other. Each man was taking in the one before him, assessing what was really going on in their minds. In their _hearts_. Both were lost in their own hellish ways. They didn't know what they wanted from this, but they knew something was pulling them to continue it. Even with the evil surrounding them at this moment, they were taking the time to worry about love. For some reason, it seemed to matter even in the darkest of times, even if they still couldn't explain it.

"It terrified me." With that last whisper, Scorpius forced himself to leave. He was afraid of how he might break if he were to stay.

The words he'd left Albus with kept ringing in the silence of the otherwise empty room. It was just three small words, but somehow they held such power. He likened their strength to the earlier proclamation of love. It was something he'd tried not to think on, but the fact was that Scorpius had said it. And since the man thought he wasn't able to listen in, what choice did he have but to believe those words? Even if the very thought of them gave him a massive headache...

Slowly, he pulled his legs up to his chest, forehead coming down to connect with the tops of his knees. The fingers of his right hand absently trailed over the bandage wound tight around his leg. Before the night in the graveyard, all he wanted was to be loved by Scorpius. But that was the love spell, wasn't it? And now that it had been lifted, he was completely chilled to the bone by the thought of that man even touching him. Or was that only _because_ of what happened that night?

Albus' head was starting to throb now, running in circles after his heart. He got out of the bed resolutely, blocking those thoughts out for now. As best he could, anyway.

Having not stood in what he assumed must have been at least a week, Al was a little shaky on his feet. Getting dressed took nearly five minutes as he had to lean against the wardrobe for support until he could actually force himself to stand on his own.

As soon as he was out of the room, hand on the wall just in case his legs gave out, he knew exactly where he wanted to go. As nice as it sounded to have a breath of fresh air after being shut away in the manor this long, the thought of it sort of terrified him. The graveyard was outside. The graveyard was the stem of his horror. And if he forced himself to face that horror, he would have to think about it. He would have to think about what the consequences of that night may have been. He would have to try and understand what happened that night.

No, he couldn't do that. Not yet. For now, his feet directed him automatically towards his study. The door looked so welcoming that he could not help but to rush towards it. For a moment, he rested against the solid wood, taking in a deep steadying breath. Then he turned the handle and his solitude came crashing down.

There by the fireplace, in _his_ chair, sat a man. A man he had never seen, though his whole being felt strange recognition. He frowned, clearing his throat and taking a step inside. Their eyes met for a moment, causing Albus' stomach to turn. Those deep pools of dark brown, nearly black, consumed him. He tried hard to look away, but it was like he was glued to this being.

The other man looked away first after a few seconds, back down to the letter he was reading. "You're awake," he said, his voice ringing with power. There was almost a hint of laughter behind the words that made Al's blood boil.

Albus found it hard to respond, only able to take in what was before him. This man was rather tall, that much he could tell even with him sitting there. He had the perfect, learned posture of someone who knew they were elite. His face was handsome and etched with undeniable knowledge. Skin pale, paler than Scorpius' even, and hair a beautiful, rich black; he was attractive. That was what Albus thought above all.

It took a good amount of Al's willpower to look away from the man. Though they must have been near the same age, he felt like a child in a great elder's presence. He almost felt abashed at his lowly self.

"Uh..." Albus sighed, running his fingers through his careless locks before taking a step further into the room. "I don't mean to be rude, but this is my study. I was hoping for a bit of... privacy, if you don't mind." His voice was strangely resolute, as within himself he was shaking from sheer nerves.

"Your study?" Again, Albus was drawn to that beautiful, pastel face. His voice was mystical. He wanted more of it and so waited on bated breath as the man stood and crossed towards him with arms folded over his chest. "What exactly makes this yours?"

They were less than a foot from each other now. Radiating into him was the dominance this sheer god gave off in solid waves. "Scorpius gave it to me when...when I moved in," Al whispered softly, his own resolution being choked off.

The tension in the room melted as the taller man laughed heartily. Albus took a step back, caught off guard. It wasn't a happy laugh, more like one of sheer amusement. He didn't know what to make of it and so remained quiet, wishing to curl up in that jade-green chair and forget this whole world existed.

That longing fueled the words he spoke next, making him seem stronger than he could ever really be. "Look, I don't know who you are or why you're in our house, but I would really like it if you could just leave me alone. Okay? All I want is to sit in my damn chair and escape everything. So why don't you just leave?"

It was the other man's turn to be caught off guard. His dark orbs narrowed and jaw squared as amusement drained from his face. He stared down at Albus for a long, hard moment, then nodded and let the letter in his hand fall to the floor. "So sorry to interrupt your solitude, Mr. Potter..." His lips curled into a slight sneer at the name. "However, I do not think you have the luxury of time away from your...lover." His voice was like acid on the word, instantly making Al feel shame for what he may have been feeling for Scorpius. "There is a mandatory meeting happening downstairs. I believe you are supposed to be in attendance, since it is, as I said, mandatory."

Albus sighed, pushing past the man. He had lost his patience for today. Softly, he sat in his chair and rested his head against its plush back as he said, "I don't see why my attendance would be necessary. For one, I don't even know what this damn meeting is for. For another, whatever it is, I'm sure it's something I have no interest in." Or more like – something he was afraid to know.

The man's footsteps were so soft as he came towards Al that he did not even notice at first. Not until a strong, yet gentle, hand closed around his shoulder. "Has Scorpius not yet filled you in?" His words could have been misconstrued as demeaning if there was not that subtle, pitying tone to them. Albus swallowed hard, keeping his mouth shut. He was afraid he'd burst into either tears or a rant if he were to say a word. A simple shake of his head would suffice. "Preposterous..."

"He...he doesn't speak much, Scorpius... Not about things he should be speaking of." Albus attempted to hold back the bite to his words, but they were hard to quell.

"He is a stupid, foolish boy, really." Al looked up, catching the devious hint of a grin and responding with one of his own. "Why don't you and I go down to the meeting together? We can chastise Mr. Malfoy, and I can fill you in on what is going on here. The plans we have."

Albus gave his first, real smile since the night in the graveyard. Someone was taking an interest in him. In what he wanted. A tall, dark, sexy someone that he had no trouble smiling at. "That sounds...rather nice." Slowly, he raised himself up from the safety of the chair and towards an unknown path that included this man. Strangely, he was starting not to fear what was to come. Not now that this man was offering to help. "Albus Potter," he said, offering his hand to the man. "But you already know that."

He nodded and accepted the shake. "I do." After letting go of Al's hand, he joined them at the elbow and led them out the door. "Tom Riddle."

Recognition pounded through Albus' mind. He ran the name like water through every vessel he could think of. Somehow he knew that name. "Nice to meet you," he said absently, focusing on his thoughts over their journey downstairs. "You're the one who used to own this house, right?" But somehow he knew that wasn't the right connection.

"You could say that."

Al nodded and frowned down at his feet. But he didn't have much more time to ponder his recognition of the name. They were now at the door to the dining room. He could hear dull chatter inside, which subsided the moment Tom turned the handle.

With a small, wicked smile, Tom pushed open the door. He gently guided Albus in behind him and immediately he could feel about a million eyes upon him.

The room held only a few, choice people. Scorpius and his grandfather, he recognized. There was also a pale woman beside Lucius who was avoiding making eye-contact with anyone. He assumed from the similarities that this was Scorpius' grandmother. The other three men, he did not recognize, but that did not stop them from eyeing him in something like shock.

"My Lord, whatever he has done, I assure you he did not know any better." Scorpius had stood to his feet with shaky resolution. His statement brought a frown to Albus' otherwise serene face.

"Albus Potter is not the one who has made a mistake," Tom hissed, closing the door with a sharp snap. "It is you who deserves punishment, young Malfoy."

The frown was replaced with utter confusion. Albus' arm was still in Tom's grip, but when he took a step away, the movement was allowed.

"F-for what, my Lord...?" Scorpius struggled to remain composed under Tom's gaze. However, he found it difficult to keep eye-contact and so ended up taking his seat. His rightful place.

At the head of the table was an empty chair. The Malfoys sat to the right, Scorpius having the first seat, and the unnamed men were to the left. It was to this spot of power that Tom was drawn. He took slow, deliberate strides, savoring the cowardice written into Scorpius' face. "Stand, young Malfoy. That spot does not belong to you any longer." Tom sat, his dark eyes cold as they stared straight ahead. Straight at Albus.

Too scared to protest, Scorpius stood again obediently. He, too, snuck a look over at Albus, as if questioning what was happening.

"Albus Potter, come take your chair."

Though he feared what would happen, Albus remained where he was. He kept dodging glances around the room, more confused than he could ever remember having been. His voice was weak when he spoke, but his words were daring enough to make up for it. "What is this...some 'devil'-worshiping cult?"

Tom's laugh was slow and dark at first. But the more it bellowed out, the louder and more delighted it became. When it died off, a grin sat firmly in his place. "This is what for, Scorpius."

Ashamed, Scorpius took steps back towards the wall. He wasn't worthy of such proximity to this man. "My Lord, I was unsure of how much to tell him. His father being who he is, I feared the consequences. I did not know how he would react to your...resurrection."

"Then you will tell him now. I think the seven of us could handle any reaction, yes?"

Albus crossed his arms as Scorpius nodded. It took him an eternity to reach Al, softly reaching for his hands. Albus flinched away, pure disgust written in his features. His eyes narrowed, the blonde began to explain. "Remember how I said we had big plans? Remember the ritual in the graveyard? This is their result. I have brought back the greatest wizard, the greatest ruler, of all time. Because of me – because of us – Lord Voldemort once again walks this earth. And this time, he will not lose." Sheer mirth played in those silver eyes as he watched Albus' tenacity falter completely.


	8. things they said could restore you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask me how or why, but this chapter is written off of "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant. It just...seemed to fit somehow, so it's not a literal basis.  
> This was a tedious, yet fun, one to write. So, I hope you enjoy.

A horrified shriek escaped Albus. His hand flew to his mouth to try and contain it as his face paled. This was a name he identified straight away. There was no question as to where he had heard it. This was a name that truly instilled fear into him.

Slowly, he turned to look at Tom, understanding the connection between everything now. He knew the Riddle name from his father. He'd spoke of a Tom Riddle who had turned to dark magic and became a horror to the world. He had become Lord Voldemort.

"But you're...you're dead. My father killed you," Albus whispered and shied away from everyone. Soon he was in a corner, clinging to the wall to keep himself grounded. "He killed you twenty-six years ago!"

"And I brought him back," Scorpius said impatiently, following him to the corner. His wand was raised threateningly, showing that he wasn't going to take any nonsense from Albus. "I brought him back with _your_ help, Albus. He drew a life-force from your virgin blood. None of this would have been possible without you. I need you to remember that. You have a part in this, so don't go placing blame."

Terror pounded in Albus' ears as he took this all in. A horrific being that Harry had worked so hard to rid the world of was back. This was something he was sure no one had expected. Once dead, a person was supposed to remain as such. One time before, he had come back to life after death. Both times, Harry Potter had defeated him.

Was it possible that he would never truly be dead for good?

"That's not possible..."

A slash of Scorpius' wand brought a gash to Albus' cheek. "Let's skip that, shall we? Obviously, this is possible as we are all seeing it with our own eyes." He raised a brow, and then stepped back towards the table. "I'm not going to stand here and try to reason with him, my Lord. We have bigger things to do tonight."

Albus reached up to wipe away the blood on his cheek, smearing it over his flushed skin. He had to suck it up and be an adult. Face the reality of the situation. This was all happening, whether he liked it or not. That didn't mean he had to take it lying down, however.

A determined look crossed his visage as he followed the blonde to the table. "Stop being such a selfish, self-centered, arrogant prat!" Albus grabbed the back of his robes, pulling him backwards. Scorpius stumbled before clawing at the other's arm to regain balance. He wouldn't keep it for long, though. Al pushed him up against the wall, landing a solid punch against his jaw. A shot of spit to Scorpius' face was Albus' last word before he walked away.

"How dare you!" Lucius raised himself up, yanking a dark-wooded wand from the serpentine head of his cane. With it pointed at Albus, he hissed at his grandson, "Scorpius, get up and stand your ground! Do not let a _Potter_ of all people get the best of you." His lip curled in disgust, eyes narrowed at them both.

"Enough!" Breath coming in harsh, fast rasps, Albus looked over to Tom. His stern and handsome jaw was squared in a resolution. "Fighting within my ranks will not be tolerated." His eyes cut over to the elder Malfoy, danger playing within. "Sit down, Lucius."

Slowly, Lucius took his seat again and put away his wand. A nerve twitched in his temple, his ache to absolutely destroy Albus blatantly obvious. He hissed over to the corner, glaring at his grandson, "Sit."

All pride and dignity out the window, Scorpius pushed off the wall. He made for Tom's right hand seat, but halted at a dark look from his superior. "Ah, ah, ah... That is not your seat anymore, remember?" A flicker of injury crossed over Scorpius as he sat beside his grandmother, four down from his precious master. "Albus, come." Tom gave a pointed look to the coveted seat which Albus took with a superior air.

He might not have wanted to be here, necessarily, but he would make the most of it. He was his father's enemy's prized one. Until he figured out what to do with that, he would just go with it.

"We have business to deal with," Tom said quietly, but with the hush of the room he was easily heard. "It has become quite apparent that many of my Death Eaters perished at the Battle of Hogwarts. Many of the ones who survived, reside in Azkaban. Many, still, have become too old to be of any use to me." Tom raked his fingers through his hair, as if to emphasize his faux-youth. "So, it is necessary that I call my remaining ranks to me. Those no longer loyal enough to heed my call are disposable. From there, we will easily be able to search for new followers."

Tom's stern black eyes scanned everyone in the room. He cleared his throat, nodding towards Lucius and pulling a wand from his robes. Albus eyed it with a certain, unexplained interest. It emitted a sort of power that he longed for himself. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Tom whispered when he caught him staring, a wicked grin pulling at his lips. "Now, Lucius, as you are the only one in this room that has taken the Mark, you have the honors."

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius stood, crossing to Tom and kneeling before him, left arm extended towards the man.

Before the intricately carved, knotted wand could make contact with the faint, curious tattoo upon Malfoy's arm, Albus interjected. "There's a flaw with your plan, Riddle."

This time, Albus felt the wrath of Tom's icy stare. At this moment, his heart pounded with his aching nerves. He truly saw Voldemort, rather than a handsome, dark-haired man. "And what might that be, _Potter_?" the angry wizard seethed at him. Clearly, he didn't enjoy being told what to do. Nor preferred his given name.

Albus took a deep breath and swallowed his doubt. "One of your...Death Eaters is currently rather intimate with my father. Harry Potter. The man who destroyed you two times already. If you call all who wear that mark, you will be inviting your downfall." Albus had seen that same branding upon Draco Malfoy's arm once, though then it had appeared as more of a light scar. He now knew what it meant. He also knew that if Draco felt the call to come here by his supposedly dead former-Lord, Harry would find out.

Pointing this out to Tom wasn't to warn him or keep him from danger. Albus' hidden intentions were to protect his father. He wasn't so sure this was something Harry was prepared for anymore. Twenty-six years later, he was seeing the world with a happier, calmer outlook. No longer an Auror, his skills were rusty. If he were to come here, Al feared he would die.

Though he was unsure what he wanted to do or who he should pledge his allegiance to, he was certain he didn't want to see his father perish. He was family, after all.

"I am aware of Draco Malfoy's relationship to Harry Potter. I would not overlook such a simple detail. You insult my intelligence." Tom sat back in his seat, lazily flicking the wand between his fingers.

A second later, Albus had fallen from his chair. He was writing on the floor, experiencing the worst pain he could possibly imagine. His bones felt as if they were pulling in every direction at once. His _blood_ was on fire. It was impossible to tell if the ear-piercing screams he heard came from his own throat or were only in his head to drive him crazy.

What seemed like hours later, it was over. A cold sweat upon his skin, Al curled into himself and pulled in desperate breaths of air. The room was devoid of the terrible shrieks. Replacing it was the sound of maniacal laughter. He dared a small look around, hands shaking as he attempted to sit up. The three men to Tom's left were creating the chuckles. But the Malfoys across from them were doing a better job of remaining composed. Though there was no mistaking the mirth in Lucius' eyes, or the motherly pity the woman wore like a cloak. Scorpius seemed to be the only one who had no emotion at all. He just sat there, staring blankly down at the table.

"Anything else to add?" Tom hissed down at him, voice layered with acidic superiority. Albus shook his head as minimally as he dared. "Excellent. Retake your seat."

It took Al a good, solid minute to find his legs again. After which he hurriedly dumped himself into the chair. The mere support of its back was not near enough to keep him stable.

Undoubtedly, he saw why Voldemort had been so passionately sought after during both of his reigns. He was heartless and relentless. A tyrant.

"Harry Potter will not survive this time. His weakness for my Death Eater as well as his cocky attitude will be his demise." Forcefully, Tom grabbed Lucius' arm again. He pressed the tip of his wand to the mark, grinning as it turned jet black, the snake winding its way through the skull's mouth.

No one dared speak. The only sound in the room was Albus' stilted breathing. They were all waiting. Everyone was eager to see who would actually show up.

A gentle knock to the door brought their answer. Snivy's small head poked in through the crack as it opened just a bit. "M-masters," the young house elf said tentatively. "There are visitors. Snivy let them in. Does masters want to see visitors?"

"Let them in." Tom was on his feet, towering over the table full of his followers. His expression was delightedly expectant as the elf stepped back and allowed the door to open further.

Two men entered, curiosity plainly written over their faces. Then shock, taking in the man who so expectantly awaited their arrival. The older man scratched at his graying beard, frowning down at the others gathered around the table. He wasn't understanding. It wasn't clicking for him.

Draco Malfoy, however, understood completely.

"You have aged well, my Lord." He grinned softly, scanning the shocked faces of his family. It seemed as though he wasn't shocked in the least by this meeting. He did, though, completely avoid looking at Albus.

"That is not the Dark Lord," the elder man muttered, squinting at the young Tom Riddle.

Tom stepped away from the table, taking measured steps towards the men. "Out of anyone, I never expected you to be the doubter, Rodolphus," he tsked. "I am surprised you showed, however. Most thought you dead, like your wife."

"I went into hiding," Rodolphus Lestrange said, the timbre of his voice a little stronger. Apparently, upon hearing his fallen Lord's voice, all doubts were erased. He even made an awkward bowing motion.

With a nod, Tom stepped in front of them. For a long moment, he simply stared them down. Eventually, Rodolphus broke eye-contact, but Draco refused. "There is something different about you, Draco. You are no longer a sniveling coward, like your father."

"I grew up. I gained...some dignity." Draco sneered down at Lucius for a moment, and then snapped his eyes back onto Tom's. "I know it may not exactly be the Malfoy way, but..." He shrugged in the silence that followed his words, looking past Tom at his son. Scorpius hitched his chin into the air, unnerved and defiant at his father's words.

Tom gave a soft sigh, twirling the wand between his fingers. He seemed to be considering the blonde's sturdy words, turning them over and over in his mind. "Are you still loyal to me, Draco?" he said when the silence began to make everyone else itch.

The corner of Draco's lips turned up in a quirky smile. "I showed, didn't I?"

"That proves nothing!" The front of the patient, merciful Lord was gone. Tom's eyes flashed red as he glared down at Malfoy. He breathed in slowly, closing his eyes as if to calm himself. Then said in a dangerous whisper, "You're going to have to prove yourself to me, Draco. I need to know for certain where your loyalties lie."

Draco bowed slightly, peering up at Tom through his long lashes. "Name your price, my Lord."

"Harry Potter. Dead. By your hand..." The smile that spread over Tom's visage, consuming his being, was one of absolute deviation. It brought a kind of alarming silence to the room, like the calm before the storm.

Shock registered in the blonde's eyes for just a moment. But, keeping up an act, he quickly blinked it away. The dark grey orbs shifted for the first time over to Albus. Something within them suggested pity or an apology. Maybe a bit of blame. Not taking his eyes from his lover's son, he muttered, "Is that not a pleasure you would like to reserve for yourself?"

"I want you to do it."

Albus stared on, panic rising in his throat. He wasn't sure if what was going on could be trusted as real. It seemed too horrifying. He swallowed, frowning up at Draco, pleading for him to say no. If he truly loved Harry, he would say no! He would defy this evil man and save his father.

That was too much to ask.

"Yes, my Lord."

"You slippery, grimy, loathsome git!" In a rush of insults, Albus was on his feet. His lungs pulled in air so quickly he feared he'd faint, and his fists curled into angry balls. "My father _loves_ you! And this is what you do to him? You're heartless and spineless! I don't see what he ever saw in you... What happened to your dignity?"

Now he knew. He knew that he could no longer remain on this side. It was another way he was like his father. Deep down, he knew that good needed to prevail. Voldemort could not win. Could never win.

But he couldn't get away that easily.

"I thought you would have learned your place from the last time," Tom hissed. He didn't even bother to turn. He flicked his wand and was met again with Albus' screams. The snickering restarted, and this time Lucius didn't even hold back. He laughed low and deep as he caught his son's eye.

Draco's hands were twitching at his sides, like he ached to do something. To help? But he didn't dare. That would surely be the death of him. His own life was too previous to waste like that. Even if Albus was Harry's son.

It took a little more strength for Albus to recover this time. He ached and hurt in places he never even knew existed. Real tears trekked down his cheeks. At the risk of being tormented, he let his true agony show. Maybe it would stir one of the younger Malfoys into action.

No such help came. No one even bothered to pick him up off the floor. Tom had gone right along with business as if nothing had happened. He was addressing all of his Death Eaters now, speaking of branding them all with Marks. Urging them to find acceptable additions to their ranks. The only one who was even acknowledging his presence was Draco. His eyes remained glued to Al's face, his own contorted in a mild version of confusion.

As soon as he had finished detailing his orders, Tom left with the flip of his robes his only goodbye. The men and woman gathered in the room remained motionless for a good moment. Once it seemed he was not returning, they stood one-by-one. The three men who had been on the left side of the table strode out silently. They didn't seem to be much for talking. Though on the way out, they did all glare at Draco. He seemed slightly shameful under their looks but didn't speak a word.

Not until his family stood. Rodolphus had retreated from the room by then so it was now only the four Malfoys and the injured Potter. Slowly, Draco turned his gaze up to his father first, then down at his son. Their resemblance – the long, blonde hair, steely grey eyes, and harsh demeanor - made his stomach turn. "I was right to worry about you," he said quietly, powerful words ringing like a shout. He momentarily looked at the woman, shaking his head. But he had to avert his eyes in disgust. "How could you let him do this? After everything..." A far off look crossed his face as he mentally relived the last war.

"If you're so stunned and upset, why the hell did you show up here? To spy? The Dark Lord will be so thrilled to hear of this," Scorpius scoffed, stepping forward with his arms defiantly crossed.

"It is no business of yours why I answered the call." Draco closed the gap between them. The sharp sound of a slap rang through the tense air. He grabbed his son's chin, glaring him deep in the eye as his cheek grew red. "You have no idea what sort of chaos you have brought on this world. On this _family_. I was happy, Scorpius. Now I'm just pissed off." He pushed the younger man away from him and crossed over to where Albus still lay injured on the floor. "Get up, you're going home."

Scorpius didn't even hesitate a moment in sending a curse at his father. A small cut appeared on his left forearm, marring his Dark Mark. "You cannot take him. He belongs _here_."

Albus pulled himself up off the floor, eyes pleading with the other. Begging to let him go. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be a part of this. He didn't want his father to die. "I want to go home," he said weakly.

"You _are_ home."

Draco gripped onto Al's shoulder, the force of it clearly showing the anger he was attempting to contain. With one simple push, he guided him forward, towards the door. "You're sick, Scorpius. I am ashamed to have had any part in bringing you to life. And your mother? Were she alive..." He stopped for a moment, sighing and shaking his head back and forth. "You would have broken her heart."

"I think you're doing a fine job of that yourself." Another, slightly deeper, cut appeared just below Draco's eye. Though he didn't flinch, the color drained from his face. The subtle sign of the terror he felt deep inside. "Albus Potter stays here. If you go any further, I will be forced to try and stop you."

"Don't make this mistake again, Draco." Lucius' words were like ice, the way they visibly cut through his son. "Don't fail your Lord _again_."

Albus felt the familiar sensation of being squished through the channels of travel, accompanied by an unbearable pain in his left arm. When his feet landed on a hard surface, his knees buckled and he felt to knees with a sharp intake of breath. Tears stung his eyes again, but he didn't have the willpower to hold back. They flowed free while he cradled his forearm. Something hot and sticky that he assumed to be blood coated the fingers of his right hand. But he didn't dare look down at the injury he'd sustained. He knew he'd pass out if he even tried, his head swimming already as it was.

"Sorry...think that was aimed for me," Draco said gently, kneeling down beside him and taking a hold on his arm. Al began to pull away, but the soothing reassurance of the elder man's touch to his skin drained away his fears. "It's quite deep..." A tearing sound came before Albus felt a soft cloth covering the blood. "This will have to do for the moment. Can you walk?"

Through the salty shield covering his eyes, he was able to look up and see that they were definitely somewhere different. To both sides were brick walls, reaching up towards the darkening sky. It had a familiar, safe feel to it. With help from the other, he raised up to his feet. Though he was a bit wobbly and light-headed from blood-loss, the good energy surrounding him made him feel like he could walk. But not very far.

Draco's arm came around his waist to steady him as he took shaky steps forward. When they reached the mouth of the alley, Al was able to better look around. A blissful smile crept up onto his face when they turned to the right and entered his father's apartment building. Steps he took out of mere memory took them up to the correct door. The moment Draco unlocked the door, he burst inside and fell onto the comfort of the couch. Just the scent of it could make him forget what he had just been through.

"Merlin! What happened to him?"

"Harry, calm down. He's hurt. I need you to get me a bowl of warm water, a towel, and a washcloth. Now."

The voices echoed in his head, flickering on and off as he began to fade into unconsciousness. A cold hand slapped him, causing a jolt of his body back to awake. "Don't fall asleep," Draco hissed, wiping something warm and wet down his injured arm. He only groaned and nodded weakly.

After a bandage had been securely placed around his arm, he was helped up into a better sitting position rather than the crumpled mess he had laid in before. Down his throat slipped a potion that warmed him instantly, his arm beginning to tingle and color returning to his face. Albus' eyes fluttered open, giving him a full view of his father's living room. To his side sat that very man and he couldn't stop himself from curling up against him in a type of half hug, half desperate cling.

"Draco, what happened?" Harry asked gently, protectively draping his arm over his son.

"We can't stay here," was all the Malfoy man answered with, wiping blood from his hands with his jaw squared. "He knows where you live. He knows where I live. We need a place that's...hidden. Somewhere safe." His silver eyes held determination, but behind that was still a flicker of anxiety hiding behind it.

Picking up on this, Harry stood and helped his son up. Al clung close to his chest, afraid if he were to leave the company of this safe haven of a man, they would get him back. He would be forced back to the Riddle house. Back to Scorpius. Back to Voldemort and his sickeningly beautiful smile.

"We'll stay with Teddy." Harry looked down at Al, swallowing hard. Then back to his partner with a worried half-smile. "It's safe there." He didn't question any further for now as they packed bags. Albus sat on the couch, eyes hollow and haunted as they stared down at the floor. Any courage he'd displayed back at the manor had drained. He was now just a shell, having to relive the things he'd witnessed and helped to bring on the world.

He was ashamed of it all. Especially of the thoughts ringing through his mind of Scorpius. Of how he wanted him; wanted to be beside him; loved him.

There was a perfect calmness to Harry's actions. He gathered everything they'd need and led them out the door without a backwards glance. This wasn't the first time he'd have to leave a home behind for the safety of others.

They were standing on the quiet street of Grimmauld Place in what seemed like no time. Harry stepped up onto the sidewalk, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he took both Draco and Albus' hands and walked closer to the crack between numbers eleven and thirteen. Before their eyes, a house began to appear directly in front of them. Though he raised a brow, Draco said nothing and Albus looked on it like he would a home.

"Only a select few know of this place. All allies. Most family. We will be safe here." Harry stepped up onto the stoop, turning the door handle and taking a step inside with a bright smile lighting up his face.

A terrible wailing sound met their ears as Draco shut the door behind them a little harder than he should have. Albus rolled his eyes, placing his hands over his ears and walking past the curtains that had flown open. An insane woman glared down at them from her paiting as she ended her screaming. The noise was replaced by her shrill shouts of blood traitors and dishonor.

"Shut up, woman," sighed a tall man with dark turquoise hair as he rounded the corner into the front hall. "Harry, Albus. What a lovely surprise." He smiled, tilting to the side a little and waving at Draco. "You two still together, huh?"

Harry stepped forward, face serious and he whispered to his godson. Teddy's expression also failed him with every passing word. He swallowed hard, stepping back and giving Al a second survey. "Victoire's just started dinner. Why don't you three go find rooms and... I'll let her know. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like." This time his smile was filled with pity and slight panic before he departed downstairs.

"We'll stay on the fourth floor." Harry regripped his suitcase and resolutely walked towards the stairs, Albus shadowing him.

Draco, however, stayed where he was. He stared at the woman yelling insults straight at his face. She knew who he was. She kept telling him what a betrayal he was. What a slimy weasel he was. He said softly, looking only slightly over at his partner. "This is a Black house..."

"Yes, it was my godfather's childhood home. He left it to the Order during the second war. After it ended...I had no use for its memories. So I let Teddy move in. He is a Black down the line afterall..." Harry shrugged, ascending the stairs with soft steps. "Ignore Walburga. What she says... It's not true."

"Right..." Draco shook his head slowly and began to follow after him. But he knew deep down that the insults were anything but lies. With just a look, the painting was able to tell exactly what he was doing here. He was betraying everything he'd ever known.

This war was going to be different for him. He was betraying his family. His Lord. Everything he'd ever grown up knowing.

This time, he was going to truly lose everything if his side won. A chill ran down his back as the weight of that settled into him. It seemed to ebb away, however, with one look from those jade eyes as they looked back at him. Harry smiled gently at him, somehow able to convey one important thought –

He wouldn't lose _everything_.


	9. every demon wants his pound of flesh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off of Florence + the Machine's "Shake it Out". Underlying more internal reasons for this one.

"Huh...looks as if they've redecorated up here." Harry looked through the two open bedroom doors on the fourth floor of the house. "You're in that one, Albus." He pointed to his left, hand on the small of his son's back. "I'll send a letter to your mother, have her brings everyone else here as well as some of your things."

"Everything of mine is still..." Al shuddered, stepping through the door and looking around. The colors of the room were subtle and safe. He stared at the bed, longing to feel tired. It would be so nice to just fall asleep. Forget everything.

"Oh...right." Harry stepped up behind him and tousled his hair lamely. "Maybe you could borrow some of James' things. His eyes scanned the room with a small, tight, amused smile. "You know... Last time I saw this room, it was much different. Everything about it screamed Slytherin. I'm rather glad they redid it. It feels so much more comfortable."

Draco followed them in, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking up at the Potter men. "Enough small talk. We need to talk." His expression was grave and serious. Harry nodded slowly, listening fully. "It's just as we feared. This," he extended his arm, looking down at his left forearm in disgust, "was just like me thought. He's back, Harry. The Dark Lord is...definitely back. I saw him. He looks different, younger and more human, but real."

"And I brought him back," Albus said quietly, pulling away from his father. He crossed slowly over to the window, staring out at a pair of Muggle children playing down by the street. They were so carefree and happy. They had no clue that the world was about to shift drastically. What he would give to be one of them...

For a long moment, the room was silent and still. Harry and Draco exchanged small, confused glances before the blonde asked gingerly, "You... You did that?"

"Maybe not directly. I didn't perform the ritual. But I might as well have. I was a _part_ of it. I was the damned key!" Anger suddenly bubbling up within Al, he slammed his fist against the glass. Between his teeth, he ground out, "Scorpius used me, my blood, to bring that terror back! And I went along with it like a lovesick puppy."

He felt acid welling up in his stomach, threatening to push past his lips. Thinking back over on it all made him want to puke. He closed his eyes, forehead coming to rest against the window. The coolness of it helped to ease his feverish skin.

A set of gentle arms enclosed him in a tight embrace. He could smell his father's cologne, a scent he had never realized his need for before. It brought back all sorts of childhood memories. Times when things were much simpler. When there were no wars to be fought or sides to be chosen. "Albus Severus Potter... You need to realize right now that none of this is your fault. Understand? Just because they used you as a pawn in their sick game does _not_ mean you had anything to do with it. I was used once before to bring Voldemort back the first time. But never in a million years could I be at blame, correct?"

Albus nodded quietly, turning to wrap his arms tightly around Harry.

"This is all so wonderfully touching, but it solves nothing," Draco hissed from his spot on the bed. "The Dark Lord wanted to keep Albus there. Scorpius said so. There will be a bounty out for me head just for the simple task of going against his wishes. Another, bigger one for not killing you."

Shock crossed Harry's face and he let go of Al to turn and face his lover at this. "Killing me?"

With a sigh, Albus held on tighter to his father. "He promised he'd kill you to T-... To You-Know-Who himself."

"Obviously I was lying!" Draco snapped and jumped to his feet.

Harry chuckled softly, pulling away from his son completely. He took measured steps towards Draco, arms crossed over his chest. "Obviously..." He leaned in to softly kiss the man's pale lips. The other physically relaxed and pushed his hair back into place to recompose himself.

"So, what we do is... We attack first. We nip this before it has a chance to fester and get bigger. He can't have many followers yet, right? Most of them are locked away. Or dead."

Closing his eyes, Draco drawled out a list of names. "Father, Mother, _Scorpius_ ," he spat this one with particular venom, "Rodolphus Lestrange, Blaise Zabini, Gregory Goyle, and Marcus Flint."

Harry nodded, a smile crawling over his lips. "We can handle that, I think."

"They're at the Riddle Manor."

With a shake of his head, Draco headed for the door. "They'll have moved by now. Found a better, unknown base. Now that you've escaped... Or were forced out?" He raised a brow, leaning in the doorway and looking Albus' way.

Albus for a moment only stared at him. But once he fully understood what the Malfoy man was insinuating, his fists once more curled dangerously. "Forced out? You think I wanted to stay there? He had me under some sort of _devotion spell_ before. I was abused and tortured. Used and insulted! Why would I want to stay there? Never would I ever follow that disgusting _monster_!"

Draco nodded once before turning and leaving. That was all he needed. If they were all going to go up against the Dark Lord, he needed to know what side everyone was truly on.

"Why don't you rest, Albus? We can-"

"I'm fine." Albus walked past the bed as if it were riddled with disease. "Not tired." He rubbed at his eye, starting to feel the effects of the potion wearing off. It may have helped restore his blood, but any energy boost it had given was now gone. Though he was slightly weary now, he was afraid to fully fall asleep. He was afraid to have any more nightmares. Or to wake up and have to remember that this was all real.

Though concern was etched into every line of Harry's aged face, he gave in with a soft smile. "I'll send a letter to your mother and be right down. Why don't you join Teddy and Victoire downstairs for dinner?"

At the thought of food, Albus' stomach growled slightly. He placed a hand over it and did as he was told. As he entered the quaint kitchen, he avoided the gaze of either adult. But somehow it was harder not to catch the small girl's eye when she stared him down.

No more than four-years-old, Remi's dark blue doe-eyes watched him in eager innocence. She sat on her knees on the far end of the table, smiling happily at him. "Hi, Alby! You have a boo-boo?" She craned her neck, long cascades of silver-blonde curls bouncing around her face.

Albus found it hard to even keep her gaze for a moment. He blushed, sitting down as far away from the small girl as possible. "Yes," he muttered, hand going over the bandages on his left arm.

"What happened?"

"Sweety, it's not polite to stick our pretty noses in other's business." Victoire offered up an apologetic smile towards Al. He missed it, however, as he was too consumed with a scratch in the wood of the table.

The look of complete shame was all-too-apparent to Teddy. He placed a soft hand on his wife's shoulder and hitched his chin towards the pot upon the stove. She went back to stirring it while he sat beside his near-cousin. For a long moment he didn't speak, only stared over at the fire crackling in the fireplace. But when he finally opened his mouth, his words hit Al with a surprising force. "No matter what happened, don't beat yourself up. You're an amazing person, Albus. One of the sweetest kids, sorry, men I know. I can tell that you have something eating you up inside. I just want you to know...whatever you've done? Whatever you feel guilty for? You're bigger than it. And no one is going to love you any less for any mistakes you have made.

You're loved, Albus."

A sob catching in his chest, Albus fell to the side. His forehead connected with Teddy's shoulder, a sad smile gracing his lips. "Thanks," he whispered quietly.

Teddy gave a sharp laugh, patting Al's knee. "Just speaking the truth, cous'."

Even after the other man stood, the warmth of his reassurance remained with Albus. There was a little more life to his shoulders as he sat, waiting for dinner to be served. No matter what had happened, at least he had this. At least he had family.

At least he had the choice to choose this.

The moment Draco walked through the door after Harry, Al was on his feet. He held his hand towards the blonde man and said with absolute fortitude, "Thank you. I might not like you much or enjoy the fact that you're shagging my dad. But I'm still grateful for what you did. If you hadn't helped me today... I don't know what would have become of me. Thanks."

Draco cleared his throat, frowning down at the hand and then over to his partner. Harry nodded his encouragement proudly, giving him the incentive to shake the younger Potter's hand firmly. "I may not be able to rescue my own son from that sort of hell, but you're the next best thing." He gave not another word before walking away and sitting at the table quite near the little girl.

"Hi!" Remi explained happily, leaning across her glass of juice to peer at Draco.

He smirked, pushing the glass further away from her to save it from becoming a mess. "Hello."

"Remi, this is my boyfriend. His name is Draco Malfoy." Harry took the chair beside the blonde, leaning forward with his elbows upon the table. "Draco, Teddy and Victoire's daughter Remi."

"Nice to meet you," Draco said with mild amusement as the girl grinned. Her charisma soaked the air, rubbing off on everyone. They all felt curiously lighter just from her small giggle.

Victoire set a bowl of macaroni in front of her daughter, and then kissed the top of her head. "She's quite the little charmer isn't she?" she said softly, her fingers playing through the beautiful set of curls. "There's veela blood down the line of my mother's family."

"You're going to grow up to be such a little coquette, aren't you?" Draco purred towards the child, eyebrows flicking up mischievously.

"Draco!" Harry smacked the man's arm, holding back a laugh. Albus and Teddy, however, didn't try to contain theirs. They looked between each other, then over at the dangerous slits of Victoire's eyes before busting out.

The tiny, pale eyebrows upon Remi's face furrowed and she tilted her head gently to the side. "I don't understand," she said simply before digging into her food and shrugging it off.

Harry squared his jaw as Draco continued to grin. "You're incorrigible," he muttered, pushing up out of his seat to help serve dinner. This accusation only seemed to fluff the blonde's ego.

The rest of dinner passed by in much the same manner. It was light and actually quite delightful under the circumstances. A cold chill remained with them all throughout, but for the moment they were able to push it to the side. That is, until the moment they heard steps descending the stairs.

"Smells good..."

"Ronald, push aside your obsession with food for just one moment, would you?"

"I could if we hadn't had to abandon dinner."

"Priorities, Ron! Priorities!"

The door opened, revealing the quarreling couple. Smiles snapped onto their faces, however, the moment they saw those sitting at the table. Harry stood, crossing to his two best friends and pulling them into a desperate hug.

More footsteps landed on the stairs before three more joined their group. "Oh, what a lovely family reunion. Harry, what are we-" The redheaded woman stopped in her tracks as she scanned those still sitting at the table. An unbelieving laugh fell from her throat and she rushed to her son, throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Albus! I'm so very sorry for what I said! I was being selfish. If you really love that boy, I support you. Okay? All that matters is your happiness." She laughed, the tears in her throat making it sound a bit strangled. Greedily, Ginny's eyes scanned the spitting image of her ex-husband. The moment they landed upon the bandage on his arm, however, she lost all happiness. "Oh, sweety, what happened?"

"Courtesy of my son," Draco hissed, pushing the remnants of his food around his plate. "If it's any consolation, the curse was aimed for me."

"Oh..." Ginny rubbed at her forehead, a frown creasing it deeply.

The happiness in the room had been finally crushed by the cold. Everyone was silent, either staring at Albus with a million questions or at the floor trying to figure out what was going on.

"Mum...I didn't love him. I _don't_...love him," Albus said quietly, feeling like he was the one that needed to explain. He pushed all doubts and objections running through his mind off to the side for now and continued on bravely. "Scorpius had me under some sort of charm. I...lost me free will for a while there. But I'm better now. Draco rescued me."

Ginny turned towards the blonde man, beginning to thank him. Draco merely held up his hand to silence her. Letting her know that it was nothing. That he did what was necessary and didn't deserve any gratitude.

Through a mouth full of pasta, Ron spoke up from over by the stove. "What a little git."

"Ronald!" Hermione smacked his shoulder and yanked the spoon from his hand. "You're so _rude_."

"It's perfectly fine. If you are hungry, I can make more." Victoire smiled and stood from her seat, hoisting a yawning Remi up into her arms. "Just allow me to put Remi to bed quick." She crossed towards the stairs, smiling gently at Lily and James as they stood off to the side of everyone else. "Feel free to break into the butterbeer while I'm gone. It's in the pantry." She disappeared up the stairs and everyone began talking at once in her absence.

Albus massaged his temple, all of the voices, accusations, questions, and speculations giving him an instant headache. Not even closing his eyes and covering his ears was helping to relieve an ounce of it. Draco, who must have noticed his desperation, stood and yelled forcefully, "Would everyone just shut the hell up? Please?" The silence was deadly then. Draco received death glares and scoffs from all but Teddy, Harry, and Albus. He met them with a defiant roll of his eyes and pushed his chair back in. "If you'd like to know what's going on, it's best to keep quiet and let the grown-ups explain, hm?"

With a wrinkle of her nose, Ginny took a seat beside Albus. It was her sign of consent for Draco to continue. For him to explain. Lily and James sat beside her, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione remained standing. Harry nodded in his lover's direction, asking for him to go on.

"I don't really know what Harry told you to get you here. But I'm guessing it wasn't the full truth. Or any bit of the truth. Nothing is safe anymore. Any line can be compromised and so we must keep our letters devoid of any information. Otherwise, someone in this room with die. We are all at risk, every single one of us." Draco's eyes landed upon James and Lily who were starting to look incredibly worried. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to force himself to continue on. "For the last week, my Dark Mark has been getting darker. After the Dark Lord was killed off last time, it faded to nothing but a scar. But lately, its color has returned. And just this afternoon, it burned for the first time in twenty-six years."

Hermione gasped from where she stood, clutching at Ron's arm desperately. It had all clicked for her now. However, she remained silent and allowed him to finish.

"I answered the call. The Dark Lord is...somehow very much alive. And my son is at the center of it. He used Albus to bring him back. The Dark Lord wants Harry dead...and I'm assuming myself as well since I helped Albus to escape. He looks stronger this time and much younger. More dangerous. For safety, you need to alert everyone you care about of this so they can take the necessary steps. Until we figure out what steps to take against him, we need to keep hidden."

Shock was written into almost every face in the room. Harry and Albus remained still and unmoving, but the rest gaped at Draco in stunned silence. The weight of the words was more than enough to crush any other worry they may have had.

Hermione was the first to speak. She rested her head against Ron's shoulder, trembling a little as she said, "Rose and Hugo are with Molly and Arthur. They're safe at the Burrow. For now."

Freckled face pale, Ginny reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. She looked at all three of her children, shaking her head slowly back and forth. "This... This can't be happening again..."

"Gin..." Harry tried to console her, but found he didn't have the words. His voice died out and he shrugged in defeat.

Ron hadn't taken his eyes off of Draco the whole time. They were narrowed in deep thought, which he expressed with an almost accusing question. "So...you're on our side this time?"

A growl grew deep in Draco's throat. He took a menacing step towards the other man, hand on his wand in his pocket. "Is that so hard to believe, _Weasley_? After all, I did save your nephew from the Dark Lord's clutches. Want to know what they were doing to him there? Using him for entertainment. They used the Cruciatus Curse on him. They _laughed_ as he writhed and cried in agony on the floor. They had no regard for his life. And I _saved_ him. Tell me, if I was still with them, would I have risked my life to do that?"

Albus stared up at Draco and pushed to his feet. He crossed to the pantry, frowning. That was what had been done to him? He knew of the Cruciatus Curse. Had studied it in Defense Against the Dark Arts and knew its power. But never had he dreamed it would feel _that_ horrible. He pulled a bottle of Firewhiskey from the top shelf along with a jug of butterbeer. Silently, he placed them on the table, looking around the room. It seemed that at a time like this, they could use a drink to numb some of the pain.

James stood and grabbed glasses without hesitation. He then proceeded to pour himself a tall drink of Firewhiskey, jaw set tightly. In turn, everyone except for Lily and Hermione took a glass as well. They instead poured butterbeer. Silently and in unison, everyone raised their glasses together, looking absolutely determined.

"Son of a bitch is goin' down again, right Dad?" James said resolutely.

After hitching his glass slightly upwards, Harry nodded and took a long drink. "Right," he said at the end with a hint of a smile.

A sinking feeling in the pit of Albus' stomach said otherwise. He sipped on his own amber liquid, eyes kept on the table. Despite the confidence in the air, he couldn't help but to feel like something was wrong this time. Somehow they didn't have the upper hand.

They couldn't win this war a third time.


	10. despite what's right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To forwarn, this is a chapter more of information than action. I did this because there were things I wanted to have said before the next chapter. Which gets...really good. This chapter is based on Black Veil Brides' "Knives and Pens". So enjoy it!

After drinks, nearly everyone retired to their rooms. Albus was the first to leave, but he could hear people traipsing up the stairs not much later. It seemed everyone was drained. The emotional blows of the night had taken their toll.

But the discussions didn't completely end there. From his gentle embrace of pure cotton sheets, Albus could nearly hear every word that was said next door. The bed was close to the connecting wall and if he tilted his ear the right way, words came through crystal clear.

He was tired. He was absolutely drained. But Al feared what sleep may bring him. He was fighting to stay awake and was glad when his father and Draco began speaking. Their disembodied voices were enough to keep him awake for now.

"Hey...are you doing alright?" Harry's voice dripped with concern. An emotion he'd kept locked away until now. But in the comfort of his lover, he found freer to express things. Freer to break down and appear normal.

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?" Draco, though, seemed more stubborn to let go. He still held his emotional barricades because that was how he was raised. It was in his blood.

There was a subtle creak of bed springs as if someone was turning upon the mattress. Then a soft, pitying sigh. "Maybe because your son has nearly single-handedly begun a war you fought so hard to escape once before." There was silence after the statement, like the other man was ignoring him. But Harry was persistent. He wouldn't just let this go. "I know what you're feeling, really. Deep down. I know you better than to believe what you're showing on the outside. So you might as well tell me what you're thinking."

Again, there was silence. Both men held their tongue, waiting for the other to give in and speak. And it was Draco who finally did. Harry Potter was his weakness. "I can't see how... How I didn't notice anything was going on with him. Scorpius has always been a good kid. He did well at school and excelled at Quidditch. He was everything I could ask for in a son. I never caught on that something like this was going on with him. I never suspected that my father's interest in him was anything but pure. I truly thought he was just trying to be a good grandfather.

"I suppose that's when I should have started to worry. After Astoria passed, they started to spend more time together. Father would say...that he felt Scorpius needed time away from home. Time to get his mind off of mourning. Except...I never once saw him cry. Never did he shed a tear or at least look shaken over his mother's death. But I was gullible. I _wanted_ to believe them. I wanted things to be normal for us for once."

Another cry of bedsprings followed by a whine of the floorboards told Albus that someone, presumably Draco, was standing. Soft footsteps to his right let him know that the standing man had crossed to the window. No doubt he was looking out at the Muggle world and wishing to be a part of it just as he had earlier. "I've never told anyone this... About what happened that night..."

"Draco, you don't have to if-"

"No! Don't tell me that. You've told me your...deepest secrets, Harry. I suppose it's my turn." Draco took a few moments to pull in deep, steadying breaths. "Scorpius was the one to find her, you know..."

The other man stood from their bed, crossing to his lover in carefully measured steps. Albus could imagine his father wrapping his arms around Draco in comfort. Letting him know it was alright. That he was here for him no matter what.

"I was working late at the hospital. It wasn't a normal shift for me. I was covering for another healer. If I had been home..." The hesitation crept back into his voice, but he pushed it aside with a clear of his throat. "The last thing I expected to see that night was my wife being rushed in, wrists gauged out and absolutely lifeless. My son standing by covered in her blood. My family torn apart by a suicide that..." He again cleared his throat, but this time to rid himself of the burbling emotion. "We were happy, I thought. To this day, I don't know why Astoria did it. Maybe she realized before I did what a monster she'd given birth to. Or maybe I was just delusional in thinking we were a contented family.

"Or, maybe still, it was because she couldn't bear to produce for me another child. When they did the autopsy...they found out she was pregnant... She hadn't even told me. It was something she'd hidden from me for nearly five months. And I had been too blind to see the signs..."

"Draco, look at me." Harry's voice was strong and comforting at the same time. Albus heard the sound of a soft kiss before he continued. "That was four years ago. I realize that I don't have any idea what sort of pain you went through that night. I've never lost anyone that way before. And I couldn't imagine any of my children dying, especially before I had a chance to know them. But it wasn't your fault. Clearly, Astoria had things hidden within her that she couldn't deal with. That doesn't make you at fault, though.

"And as for Scorpius, that's not your fault, either. Maybe he's been corrupted from the beginning. From what I've seen, you're a wonderful father." Draco tried to protest, but it went muffled as though his mouth were covered. After a minute, he groaned and went silent, letting Harry finish. "You're a kind man. To my children, you have been nothing but caring. You have a way with children. It may not be entirely conventional, but it's not deficient. Whatever happened to Scorpius to make him like this was not by your hand, I assure you. I have no doubt that it was your father who did this to him. Though I'd never have guessed he had that much of a spine..."

"He doesn't."

Both men fell silent. Albus waited to hear more, but no words came. They'd said what they'd needed to. There seemed to be nothing else they had to voice, but Albus longed for them to keep speaking. If the silence persisted, surely the blackness would envelop him. He would be forced to fall asleep.

"Do you really think we can win again?"

Slumber hit him so fast then that he almost didn't catch the last words that were spoken. His lids were heavy and sliding closed over his eyes, ears filling with the fuzziness sleep brought. But before he drifted off, he forced himself to hear the answer to Draco's question.

"I wish I could say that I did..."

~*~

"Morning."

With a groan, Albus stirred from deep sleep and looked over at the source of the voice. James sat on the edge of his bed, nursing a cup of tea. His eyes were tired and bloodshot, like he'd not slept that night. Rubbing at his eyes, Al nodded and half-heartedly raised a hand in greeting. Anything resembling social or happy had died during the night. Slowly, he sat up, putting his feet down on the floor. "Yeah," he muttered with a soft sigh.

"Mum asked that I bring you something to wear." James smiled down at the clothes in his free hand. "Though I'm pretty sure you'll drown in them."

"Yeah, well, sorry I'm not built like a troll." Al pushed up off the bed, stretching the knots out of his back. "I'll see if Teddy has something more...suitable." He headed for the door, not even giving his brother a backwards glance.

Just as the younger's hand closed around the doorknob, James sighed. He stood as well, laying a hand on Albus' shoulder after setting aside his mug and the clothing. "Al, wait a minute." When the other's hand fell back to his side, he continued. "Why'd you let him take you home that night?"

"That night?" Albus' eyes narrowed dangerously. "You mean my _birthday_?" James nodded calmly, unflinching at his brother's temper flare. "Because... Because he was the only one that gave a damn about me that night! Turns out...he really didn't, but at the moment I felt slightly special."

James scoffed, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "Not true. Hugo, Rose, me... We were all there for you. We were there celebrating _with_ you."

With a roll of his eyes, Al turned around to face the elder man. "You were there, but not for me. None of you. Rose skipped off the moment she could. And you and Hugo? You guys were more concerned with partying between yourselves than with me. I could have forgotten all of that, though, if my own _girlfriend_ had bothered to...to _be_ my girlfriend." His eyes fell to the floor, ashamed that he had to hold back tears.

"So that's what it was all about? That's why you helped to start this war? Because of Alice?" The glare from Al didn't go unnoticed, but James kept on. "You and Alice had been over for months, you know that? She told me so. But, honestly, she stayed because she knew you'd be a goddamn wreck. Guess she was right."

Albus wiped at his eyes, fingers curled tightly together in rage and hurt. "That's not true," he hissed in hardly a whisper.

"Yes, it is." James' voice was resolute and unforgiving. He truly felt his brother needed to understand this. "Do you remember Easter? How you caught her just speaking alone with another guy? Remember what you did?" The way the other's face fell showed that he did. But James decided to refresh him anyway. "You threw a fucking rock at her. I think it's safe to say, her feelings for you ended right there."

There was a noticeable shake to Albus' voice and hands as he countered, "I...I wasn't aiming at her. You know that. I was aiming at Davies. He...h-he was being an ass. He was taunting me with her. Kept saying he'd take her from me..."

The way James looked at his younger brother was strange. There was a mixture of pity and hatred present in his eyes. He was having a hard time figuring out just how he felt about this whole mess. "Whatever. Doesn't matter. What does is you went willingly with him. You allowed him to make you his bitch. And now people are going to die again. Do you even care that people you love are in danger all because you felt like a sorry fuck on your birthday?" He reached up and grabbed the gold Snitch around Al's neck with force, pulling him a step or two closer. "I don't think you do," he said in a low, dark growl.

Panicking, Albus stared down at the hand on his necklace. His present. A precious item he would easily kill to keep.

Just as he thought that, his heart seemed to stop. He found he couldn't breathe; couldn't move. The realization had hit him that hard. It was written plainly on his face as he didn't have the capacity to try and hide it.

The rage overtook everything else within James. He pushed his brother back against the door and snarled, "You're pathetic. You still fucking want that jerk, don't you? You do know he's the reason Dad's going to die, don't you?"

"D-don't be an idiot, James..." Albus couldn't come up with a better response. He couldn't deny it – he didn't hate Scorpius. Feared him, maybe. But somewhere inside of him, he was questioning whether his feelings of love and devotion had been more than just a spell.

"An idiot? I'm just seeing what others can't, apparently!" The elder Potter shook the younger with enough force to make him hit his head against the door several times.

Though his head was swimming, Albus was able to make out the sound of his father's voice just outside the door. He was pushed forcefully away from its solidarity as it was opened. He groaned, reaching up to feel the growing bump on his head. "What in Merlin's name is going on here?" Harry shouted, looking between them both. When Al only blinked to clear his vision and James stared back in indignation, he stepped closer with a threatening look in his eyes. "What's with you James?"

"He's still wearing that twat's necklace!" James bellowed back, pointing over at Albus.

Al frowned and stared down at the pendant around his neck while feeling the back of his head. He knew they were waiting for him to explain himself, but he couldn't. He just _knew_ that he couldn't bear to take it off. If he threw it out, he could never see the Snitch fly. He could never watch those wings open upon Scorpius' supple tongue. His mouth went dry and his groin twinged as he thought about it. Thoughts and emotions he knew were not normal and that he shouldn't be having. So how was he supposed to explain that to the Chosen One and his prized son?

"Draco picked it out. It was his idea. So...truly, it was from him. I have no problem with that. Why don't we stop picking fights, huh? We have bigger battles ahead." Harry raised a brow, speaking towards his first born. But his attention was focused on Albus. His expression behind the indifference was that of puzzlement. It was like he didn't believe his own explanation. He had only wanted to dismiss the topic so he could think over it more in private. "Now...have either of you seen Draco?"

Albus shook his head silently, secretly tucking the necklace under his shirt. But James, who was still red with anger, spoke up right away. "He left."

"He...left?" Harry's expression crashed completely, immediately assuming the worst.

"Dad, chill. He just went out to...speak with the minister, or something. Said to tell you he'd be back soon and, I don't know, not to worry?" James stepped past his father, making for the door as fast as he could.

Relief flooded Harry's face, but concern soon overtook it. "And no one tried to stop him? I was under the impression that we were all laying low."

"Nobody cared to." James stopped in the door long enough to finish with, "Face it, Dad – Nobody here cares what happens to your wretched boyfriend." In his absence, an air of despair settled into the room that Harry attempted to hide.

He cleared his throat, running his fingers through his untamable hair. His composure was slipping and he was having a hard time regaining it. Gently, Albus crossed over to him and patted his arm awkwardly. "He... He's a smart guy. He'll be alright, I'm sure..." A moment of silence passed before he felt he had to add, "And, uh, I care. Okay?"

It wasn't even a lie. Initially, he hadn't been sure how to feel about his father dating Draco. A man. But nearly two years had passed now since their relationship went public after the divorce. He'd grown accustomed to seeing the two of them together. And in the last day, Draco had helped him – or at least tried to – more than almost anyone else. It wasn't all that bad having him around. The other may not have felt the same, but maybe the support of just one was enough to keep the couple going.

A ghost of a smile crossed Harry's lips and he nodded. "Thanks, Al. Um, Teddy has some clothes downstairs for you. Maybe you should take a shower, too?"

Now that he actually thought about it, Albus couldn't remember the last time he'd really bathed. "Yeah, I think I will," he said absently and followed his father down the stairs.

It turned out, a shower was just what he'd needed. The time under the warm spray gave him the opportunity to think in a solitary world all his own. Sifting through his mind was much easier in the safe, comfortable water.

When he emerged and wrapped a towel around his waist, everything was sorted out. He'd never voice it out loud, but he'd come to understand his heart maybe just a fraction.

He loved Scorpius.

Though he had no real, tangible excuse for why, he did. The heavy weight of the silent Snitch around his neck was all the reasoning he needed for the moment. It reminded him that there was a side to the other that was lovable.

He just needed to get through to it.

Another thing he knew was that he didn't support anything Scorpius was doing. He knew deep down that he was a good guy. Somehow he'd just been roped up into being who someone else wanted him to be.

Another reason he wanted to see You-Know-Who's downfall was that he didn't want to see his dad die. Out of both his parents, he was more likely to run to Harry for something right now. All his life he had despised being compared to him and had shied away from him because of it. But their similarities right now seemed comforting. He liked feeling like someone else out there had problems. Someone else had to make hard decisions.

Ginny was wonderful and would always be his mother. But she was a woman. She handled things differently. And she had never been in love with someone she shouldn't be. Her decisions had stemmed as far as what to make for dinner. His thoughts may have been harsh, but there was some truth to them.

She would never fully understand.

So to lose Harry at such a time as Albus needed him the most seemed like a nightmare. He would never be on the same side as Scorpius if his family had to die for any reason.

Albus pulled on his clothes, a resolution to his thinking process. His mind was battling itself, but at least he knew where he stood with his thoughts. Maybe he didn't know what to do about Scorpius or this war, but he could live with being a little more at peace with himself. It was good enough for him right now.

The robust smell of a complete dinner filled his nose as he left the bathroom. He followed it back down to the kitchen and smiled at the gathered group of his family. Ginny was pulling a succulent turkey out of the oven. While juggling playing tea with Remi, Victoire was attempting a gravy. And Hermione was concluding the meal with mashed potatoes and a slurry of different vegetables. To round it all off, Lily was over at the table setting places for everyone.

"Hey," he said softly and joined his sister, grabbing the silverware and helping her set it out.

"Where have you been all day?" she asked softly, watching him with her careful brown eyes.

A crease punctured Al's smile and he met her gaze. "What do you mean? I just woke up...not two hours ago."

Lily nodded towards the clock upon the mantle. "It's nearly six. You must have been tired." She was calculating him in a way that made him feel almost uncomfortable. Maybe James had spoken to her. Or maybe she could see the indecision in his eyes as well. He had to imagine it was quite plain.

"Oh, well... I just assumed that when James woke me, it was morning. Um...yeah, I guess I was tired. Haven't slept well lately..." Silent, his sister only stared at him a little longer before turning away to retrieve napkins. "Where's everyone else?" he asked when she returned, noting the lack of male presence in the room.

"Meeting room. Upstairs." Lily finished setting the table and walked quickly away from her brother. There was a frown in the corners of her mouth that she was trying so hard to hide. But she wasn't doing a very good job at it.

Turning from her busy work at the stove, Hermione offered Albus a sweet look. It wasn't condemning or calculating. Just nice. But that was how his aunt was. She was more likely to give people a chance to prove themselves rather than judge. Lily on the other hand had been raised more like her mother. Rash and harsh when it came to people with many layers. "Why don't you go fetch the men, Albus? Dinner's nearly ready," she said softly, levitating the dishes of vegetables to the table.

Albus nodded and climbed the stairs back up to the main floor. He paused on the landing a moment, looking back down towards the kitchen. Being here, he felt like an absolute stranger. His family, his siblings, who he had grown up with were treating him like he had a disease. It smarted. Their doubt of him, the judging look in their eyes... It was something he'd never expected to see. Family was supposed to be there for you no matter what, right? Through thick and thin. So why were they not adhering to that rule?

As he came upon the rarely used meeting room, Al raised a fist to knock. But something said beyond the door caused him to freeze.

"Albus can't fight with us. He can't come with."

His fists curled at his brother's words, eyes narrowing as he imagined James' smug face. Of course he would say that. He had absolutely no faith whatsoever. But what stung more was his uncle's retort.

Ron said with a strong resolution to his tone, "I agree. He's...not stable. You can tell just by looking at him. One tip from that prat and he'll be back on their side. He has to stay here. Probably until this war is over if you don't want to lose him, Harry."

"So your boy, who's not even of _age_ yet, is allowed to drop out of school and come fight-"

"We dropped out of school at his age! I'm not about to say Hugo can't do the same! Besides he turns seventeen in less than three weeks."

"Don't interrupt me, Ron!" Harry shouted and the sound of a chair being tipped over echoed the stress in his words. "Albus is an adult. I can't tell him what to do. And I won't let you all do it, either. If he wants to join us against Voldemort, I'm all for it. He's a talented wizard. We could really use him."

The room was silent following his words. Albus smiled proudly at the way his father stood up for him. He knocked softly and poked his head in, looking around at the gathered family in the room. Joining his father, Uncle Ron, brother, and Teddy was the rest of the Weasley males. Grandfather, uncles George, Charlie, Bill, and Percy, as well as his cousins Fred and Hugo. They all looked up at him with mixed degrees of shame. Harry welcomed him in with a smile, though. "Sorry...we would have invited you but you took quite a long shower."

"No...no, it's fine. I just came to tell you that dinner's ready." Albus swallowed hard and turned away, exiting as fast as he could. Out of everyone in the room, his father had been the only one to stand up for him. Which meant no one else trusted him. All of those men thought he was wrong. Not even Teddy came to his aid?

He came to rest against a door he assumed led to a broom closet. His breathing was shallow as he attempted to hold back tears. But as a sob escaped him, he reached behind his back and turned the knob. Once inside the closet, he cast a silencing charm around the door to keep his noises inside of the small room. Only then did he feel free enough to let out his cries. He sank to the floor, head in his hands. He let go all of the sadness and frustration he'd felt for the last few weeks right there.

But, in the end, it left him feeling empty rather than better. He just felt so alone.

Somewhere a sliver of light broke into his seclusion and a pair of arms enveloped him in their strong embrace. He was once more bathed in his father's cologne, taking in deep breaths of it to ease his cries. Somehow they only made them worse, though. His found the crook of Harry's neck and laid his head in it, letting out all of the feelings he had. Maybe then he could just go numb.

"Don't...don't worry about them, Albus. They don't know what it's like. You have me, okay? I have you...and you have me. That's all we need. You support me and I'll support and help you." Harry's fingers were in Al's hair, a sweet gesture that reminded Al of when he was a child.

Anytime he would have a nightmare, his father would almost automatically know it. He said it was father's intuition, but he knew that it had more to do with Harry's inability to sleep all the way through the night. He was awake and therefore could hear when his children began to panic in their dreams. When this happened, he would come in with a glass of milk and a cookie, which he would set on his nightstand. Gently, he'd slide into bed next to Albus and run his fingers through his messy black hair. It would ease him gently from the terrifying sleep cycle, and when he awoke the small snack completely erased it from his mind.

But this wasn't just a nightmare.

"S-so...," he started cautiously after a few moments, wiping away some of the tears, "they all believe James? What he's saying about...about me and..."

Harry bit his lip before sighing and pressing a kiss softly to the top of Albus' head. "Yes. I think everyone's just...too afraid and cautious that they're willing to believe it. After all, it does sound quite plausible. You're a sweet, naïve boy. Why wouldn't you develop Stockholm Syndrome?" He scoffed at the sound of it on his lips.

"Don't say that!" Albus snapped, pulling sharply from his father's hold. "I'm not fucking naïve! I'm a man! A grown man, not a child! I'm not innocent or sweet or anything like that, okay? _Don't_ say that I am!"

"I...am sorry," Harry said gently and lit the end of his wand. He scanned his son's irritated expression and nodded slowly. "Okay. I'm sorry." He offered his other hand down towards Al with a soft smile. "Why don't we go eat dinner? Your mother said she was going to make apple crumble. Your favorite?"

Albus gave a consenting nod and took his father's hand, standing with his help. He wiped away the last of the tears upon his cheeks and cleared his throat to rid it of any pathetic emotion.

They walked together back to the kitchen, not speaking anymore about what had happened in the meeting. But as they reached the door, Al had to ask something that had been nagging at him since he'd opened that door. "Where's Draco?"

A pained look crossed Harry's face and he had to grab the railing to keep his knees from giving out on the stairs. "He, uh, isn't back yet. I don't know where he is. But, uh...he should return any minute. I'm sure he just stopped to...buy you clothes or...or something." His words were hollow as they lacked any ounce of confidence. They did nothing to make either of them worry any less. If anything, they made it worse. It was all they would think about throughout dinner.

By the time dessert was served, they were too vexed to eat. They just cast each other glances every so often. Something was wrong here that sent shivers down through their spines with every thought of Draco's possible situation.


	11. crash, crash, burn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel the need to warn about the depressive nature of this chapter. But I assure you it is all necessary. I won't take up anymore of your time with notes. I just want to say that the song basis is "Hurricane" by 30 Seconds to Mars and I hope you like the chapter.

By the time everyone retired for bed, Draco was still not back. Harry was an absolute wreck, pacing around in their room. Every so often, he stopped to listen for a creak of a stair or closing of a door. But none came. The house was quiet with everyone asleep. The only sound was that of his footsteps back and forth and his labored breathing.

To say he was worried would be a massive understatement. Draco may not have been the most communicative person on the planet, but he would at least warn Harry if he were going to be gone this long. Talking to the minister didn't take nearly a whole day and well into the night. Something _had_ to have gone wrong. And the waiting to find out what was killing him.

Albus stayed with his father well into the night. What he'd said earlier kept ringing in his mind. They did both need each other. They needed to lean on one another. They needed to help each other. This was a time when no one else would understand or care. So he felt his presence was necessary to keep Harry just a little sane until they knew what had actually happened.

Somewhere during the waiting, however, Albus found his eyes betraying him. The lids felt so heavy and sleep seemed so sweet. He was foolish to even fight it. It must have been nearly midnight when he fell prey to slumber.

A few hours passed before he was awoken by Harry's relieved cry. Blearily, he looked out at the room slowly filling with early morning light. He rubbed at his eyes to see a little clearer, head tilted to the side. Harry had his arms thrown around the tall form of Draco near the door. However, the blonde was not returning the hug. He just stood there, stiff and unmoving as Harry burbled out a list of questions.

Frowning, Albus slid down off the bed so as to be hidden. Something was wrong and he felt it was better not to be seen at the moment. Quiet as he could, he slipped under the bed and watched the two men with caution.

"Harry...shut up." Draco's words were low and gravelly as he slowly looked down at his lover. He took measured steps forward, Harry's feet forced to follow his towards the wall.

The smile on Harry's lips faded slightly as they moved, and disappeared altogether when he was slammed against the solid surface. "D...Draco? Are you alright?" His eyes momentarily flicked over towards the bed and looked slightly satisfied by his son's missing body.

"Of course I am, my love." The way Draco spoke gave Albus shivers. He clenched his fists together tightly from where he was, but didn't otherwise move. The sickly tone to the man's voice was a warning to not expose himself. Though he felt he should help his father, something like fear had frozen him where he was.

Gently, Harry reached up to run his fingers over the face he knew almost by heart. There was something hidden in a corner that wasn't right. Something was off and he could tell, but he couldn't place just what. "You, um... Where have you been?" he asked quietly, moving his fingers up to the blonde hair that was so carelessly out of place.

"You ask too many questions." A low growl began in Draco's belly while he leaned in to the man and took a long sniff of his neck. "So...why don't you shut up...and suck my cock, _Potter_?" Until this moment, Al hadn't realized there was a wand in the man's pale hand. One flick of it had Harry crashing to his knees, looming before the crotch of Draco's dress pants.

Even with the distance between them, Albus could still see the hard swallow Harry took as he stared up at the lean blonde. "Draco...please. It's early in the morning. I haven't slept all night. Can't we just to bed?"

Draco rolled his eyes, grabbing a fist full of the dark hair within his reach. He jerked Harry's face up so they could see eye-to-eye and grinned hauntingly. "I don't think so." With an air of taunting, he pressed a kiss to the man's forehead. He then let go of him with a neck-cracking vengeance. "Isn't that what you love to do, Potter?" he asked, examining his nails with a smirk. "Suck my big, fat cock?"

The two of them had played with domination before. Draco excelled at it, really. But there had always been warning. A safe word. Precautionary steps to ensure they were both on board. So, Harry was a little thrown by this display but his alarm began to fade a little bit. He was just happy to see that Draco was home safe. In his deliriously joyful state of mind, it was even easy to forget that his son was hiding somewhere within the room.

"Yes...," Harry moaned softly, reaching up with skilled fingers to undo the buttons and slide the zipper down. There was a bit of a contented smile on his lips when he pulled the pants down around the man's ankles. And an even fuller one as the briefs followed suit. He was just taking ahold of the slightly swollen member before him when the bone-chilling laughter begun.

Eyes wide and uncertain, he followed the sound after an look up at Draco. Coming out of the shadows of the hall was a figure built much the same as his partner. A little shorter, a little slighter, but with the same jawline and crop of striking blonde hair. He swallowed hard, eyes flicking to where he'd left his wand on the nightstand.

Too late. The figure had it in his hand before it could be of any use to him.

"You're rather pathetic, aren't you?" Scorpius Malfoy hissed, gingerly sliding the door shut. "The great Harry Potter...felled by a thick cock? Sounds rather...dull for a man of your caliber, doesn't it?" He twirled Harry's wand between his fingers, a dark smirk attached to his pale lips.

With a sigh, Harry looked down at the floor. "What did you do to him?" he asked quietly, his fingers gently caressing Draco's calf.

Scorpius took his time answering, lazily waving his wand around. Draco almost robotically pulled his pants back up and went to stand in the corner like an obedient dog. "I've been using the Imperius Curse since I was about...oh, eleven I suppose. Since I was first allowed a wand." The grin upon his lips made Albus' mouth go dry. It was...gorgeous but behind it laid something scary that he knew couldn't be trusted. "Once mastered, it's rather simple you know. I hardly even have to focus on it anymore."

"Your grandfather must be so proud," Harry spat up at him, pulling himself up off the floor. But another wave of Scorpius' wand and he was held against the wall. He laughed mirthlessly and looked up at the ceiling to gather his wits about him.

Taking his time to answer, the younger Malfoy crossed over to the bed. He sat upon the edge, folding one leg over the other. Albus held his breath, staring at the foot before him. Carefully, he pinched the wand out of his pocket. It was useless if he were to remain under here. But no doubt Scorpius would puppet him around as well. His fingers searched blindly in the dark beneath the mattress, feeling for the familiar, silky fabric. The invisibility cloak was _always_ kept under Harry's bed. It was a safety precaution he had always maintained.

But this wasn't home. And he couldn't be saved that easily.

"My grandfather... Yes, he is rather proud of me. But he wasn't the one to teach me these things. Not at first." Scorpius sighed, standing in one fluid motion and casting a disarming spell at the underside of the bed. Albus' wand flew up into his hand and he smirked triumphantly. "Come out and join us, Albus..." Like he was being dragged out by his arms, Albus flew from underneath the bed towards the wall his father was on. He looked over at him with fearful tears in his eyes. This was the moment. The one he'd been dreading.

"Did you miss me, my love?" Scorpius asked in nothing more than a whisper. He crossed over to the Potters, kneeling down before them. Harry stared back in absolute indignation, angry that he had been tricked so easily.

Albus looked down at the floor, unable to meet those silver pools with his own. The fact was, he had missed Scorpius. He had figured that out just yesterday that he loved him and wanted to be with him. But he couldn't admit that out loud. Especially not in front of his father as they were in such a compromising situation.

"Of course you did." Al felt cold lips upon his cheek, causing a hunger to grow within him. He was ashamed of wanting more and had to close his eyes to stop some of the pathetic tears from reaching his face. "There's no shame in being in love, Albus. Unless you're the grand Harry Potter..."

Harry snorted, stretching to test the limits of his binding. He was able to move his head, but his arms were stuck upon the wall, immovable. His legs seemed to not even respond to what he wanted them to do. There was no way he was getting away this time. The best he could do was buy time and hope someone came to interrupt them. "I will never be embarrassed by love, Scorpius. Not even you can make me feel that way."

The steps Scorpius took towards his own father were measured and reeked of mocking. He tilted his head to the side, looking up at the elder man with something like fascination. "You're pathetic now, Harry Potter. After all the hype...I would have thought you'd be harder to be rid of." He turned slowly on his heel to face the other two and shrugged simply. "But I guess...you're just a weak, old man now, aren't you? And your weakness just so happens to be Draco Malfoy. My dear... _father_." The word was acid on his tongue as he spat it out towards Harry.

"I suppose I am," Harry said quietly. He wouldn't deny it. It was no surprise that he hadn't expected this. He wasn't ready for another war. He'd thought his life was supposed to be good now. Better. Happy. So maybe he was weak for thinking something like that was possible. But if that was weakness, he didn't know if he wanted to be strong. "I do, after all, love your father more than I could ever have loved anyone else. I am not afraid to admit that. I'm just sorry that you can't seem to conjure the same emotion for the man who gave you life."

Scorpius' resounding, mocking laugh filled the room. It caused Albus to cringe away from the disturbing tone it gave the air. "Gave me _life_? Is that your argument for why I should adore this sack of shit?" Lip curling in disgust, he lashed out with a blow to Draco's jaw. The cursed man didn't even flinch or attempt to stem the blood flow from his broken nose. "Just because he donated the sperm, does not make him anything of a father to me. He's a coward. A disgusting, slimy pig with a weak spot for fame."

"Your mother loved him."

A flash of pain crossed the younger blonde's pale face. But it was gone as soon as it came, replaced by a mocking sneer. "Oh, the things you don't know about my mother..." For a moment he paced, his expensive dragon-hide boots clicking upon the wooden floorboards. His long hair fell in his eyes, brooding face seeming all the more alarming from it. "You know...dear Daddy doesn't even know this yet, so to his little cursed brain it will seem such a shock... But you know what? She wasn't the perfect, devoted housewife the world believed her to be.

"Ever wonder who might have raised me to be like...this?" He gestured down at his perfectly dressed, sinister self. "Certainly not my grandfather. For the longest time, I actually wasn't even allowed to see him. My father feared...he would try and instill some of his love for the Dark Arts in me. What he didn't know was his own wife was just as big of a supporter. If not bigger..."

A frown creased Harry's brow and he looked over at Draco. Somewhere in there, he was forced to watch this. He was finding this out and he couldn't even react. All he could do was sit there, in his shell of a body and listen.

"Oh, yes, Mother was the Dark Lord's biggest fan. From the time I was born, she raised me on Dark magic and the hope that one day my master would once more walk the earth." Scorpius grinned triumphantly, stopping in front of the Potters and winking. "She may have had to die in order for it to be achieved, but...that's trivial and, hey, she was willing to be sacrificed. Her and her unborn child..."

Albus felt a bit of despair growing in his stomach. Scorpius was more than a wayward son. He was a murderer, and from such a young age. Being who he was, the son of Light himself, how could he love someone like this? Why did his heart betray him like this? He bit his lip, swallowing a sob.

Though he had tried to hide it, Scorpius was easily able to pick up the sadness settling into Al. He clucked his tongue in admonishment softly, shaking his head from side to side. "Albus, my love, do not be so downtrodden. I am the same person you fell in love with. I always will be."

"I do _not_ love you," Albus hissed back, sneaking a look over at his father. He knew his voice lacked conviction and the betrayal in Harry's eyes confirmed it. Swallowing hard, he looked back down at the floor, wishing so badly that he could just shut his heart off for now.

"Mmhmm... I don't believe you."

Harry snarled at the crass way Scorpius spoke to his son. He spat angrily up at him, "You have me, alright? Isn't that enough? Kill me, but leave my son alone! Albus is so much better than you. So why do you feel the need to go after him? He will always despise what you are a dark, twisted murderer."

"Merlin, your self-righteous ramblings are really giving me a headache," Scorpius drawled and leered down at Harry. The elder man's jaw clenched in reply as he glared up at him. "Murderer, you call me? Thus far...I haven't killed a single soul. I swear." He held up his hand as if to show that he was truly vowing that he had not. But the wink that followed betrayed him.

The roll of Harry's eyes truly showed his exasperation. How his son could be charmed by this type of arrogance baffled him. He rolled his shoulders to the best of his ability in order to refocus himself. "You just said your mother-"

Scorpius' frustration was beginning to show as well as his lips and neck twitched a little. "Is your goal to get me to recant my whole life's story? Do you think that will spare your pathetic, unworthy life, Potter?" His laugh was sharp and mocking. "Because it won't, but good try. I'll bite. Let's just make it quick, shall we? My Lord has a wonderful wand that won't fully respond to him just yet. He needs you dead first."

Something like surprise crossed over Harry's face, but it was quickly tinged with... victory? Albus swallowed hard, not quite understanding that reference, though it sure meant something to his father. He was unsure whether that should frighten him or not.

"Yes, yes, the Elder Wand. Now wipe that shocked look off your face, you idiot." Scorpius' patience was wearing thin now as he lashed out with a kick to Harry's side. "You want to know what happened to my mother. As your last wish, I'll tell you. She killed herself, which you knew. She was pregnant; I assume my father told you that as well. What you don't understand is she killed herself and my baby brother in order to further the magic that runs through these veins. We even named the poor child Lesath, the sting of Scorpius. We figured out this...magic transference ritual. But it included a sacrifice. We figured if we used two lives, it would be twice as strong. And, oh, were we right. One touch of their joined spilling blood to my tongue at the tender age of fourteen tripled my magical power. It is the only reason I am the _only_ one who was able to bring the Dark Lord back!

Dark magic can get you so far ahead in life..."

Albus' nose wrinkled at the satisfaction and power radiating from Scorpius. He was disturbed by how much he craved this man right now. So much so that he turned his face to the right and emptied the contents of his stomach upon the floor.

A disgusted noise built in the back of Scorpius' throat and he sighed in vexation. "Really, Albus? That is absolutely revolting. I think I've seen enough of your puke to last me a lifetime now." He waved his wand, ridding the room of the smell and sight of the vomit. "Much better."

"I'm surprised you didn't just rise to power yourself," Harry sneered after having stewed on just how to react. He watched the blonde's brow rise in curiosity. "With all of that power surging through you, I don't quite understand why you would want to be Voldemort's bitch."

Scorpius flicked his wrist and Draco stepped out of his corner, towards them. A vein was nearly popping in his temple now, the mocking tone behind Harry's words pushing him over the edge. "I do hope you enjoyed your shot at life, Potter. But it's time for the hero to die. Good cannot always prevail."

"No!"

"Albus, shut up and let me do my job," Scorpius snapped harshly. He took a step back, allowing his father to take his place before the other two. His eyes were lifeless and cold, staring down at his lover.

Harry swallowed hard, holding back any weeping he felt happening in his soul. This was not how he wanted to die. Draco had been his love, his life, for the last three years. He had comforted the man over the death of his wife. And, in turn, the blonde had helped him get the courage to leave his loveless marriage. They had built a life together, all their own, and it was about to come crashing down around them. How could this be happening?

Under his son's control, Draco raised his wand towards his partner. Somewhere inside he was conscious of what he was doing. He was screaming and fighting for control of his own mind but the curse was much too powerful. It felt like he was in a nightmare as his lips formed the spell.

" _Sectumsempra_...."

The sliver of hawthorn sliced through the air quickly with dangerous precision. From this movement, a pained cry escaped Harry's lips. Following it was Albus' muffled anguish, Scorpius' hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. He began to struggle as the blood pool soaked the wood, seeping closer and closer to where he sat. His face was forced to turn to the side; forced to see the gashes lining his father's chest and how they oozed away his very life force.

"Let...let him... Go...," Harry rasped out, weakly reaching towards his son. "N-no wand... I need to...to... To speak with...my s-son..."

If there was an ounce of humanity left in Scorpius, it was used here. He released his spell on Albus and uncovered his mouth. The man rushed to his father's side, pulling off his own shirt and shoving it onto the torn, soaked chest. This attempt to stave the blood flow, however, was useless. He wasn't even trying to hide his tears while Harry struggled to speak to him.

"Al... Al, s-stop," Harry whispered, his pale, shaking hand coming up to touch Albus' cheek gently. He smiled up at him, but it didn't contain an ounce of happiness. "T-take this." He fumbled with something in his pocket for a moment as Albus wiped away the cloudy sadness covering his eyes. "Do...do not l-let him...have control of...of it." Harry pressed something shiny and round to his lips a moment, then up to his son's. The cold weight of it made Al shiver.

When Harry dropped the Snitch into Albus' hand, he frowned deeply and felt a little burble of anger well up inside of him. "Don't let _who_ have a goddamn, bloody Snitch?" he uttered with venom.

The rest of the strength the elder Potter had left was used up as he shook his head back and forth at his son. With the movement, it fell to the side, eyelids fluttering and halting halfway open.

If he hadn't felt the weight of his father's dead body, Albus would never have believed it. He felt cold and dead inside, his pathetic cries not even enough to show how horrified he was. His breaths came in stilted rasps as he scrambled backwards, a blood-stained hand coming up to cover his mouth. The other held the gold ball in a death grip, wishing to crush it for taking up the last few moments he had with his father.

A clatter of wood against wood halted him. Albus looked over to where Draco had dropped his wand, staring down at his lover with undeniable horror. He dropped down beside him, reaching out to touch Harry's lifeless hand. As if he had been burned, he jerked his own back and held it close to his chest. A desperate gleam to his eye, he snatched his wand back up and hurriedly muttered over the wounds, " _Vulnera Sanentur_." When nothing happened, he nearly shouted it. But he had the same results. There was no fixing this.

Harry Potter was dead.

There was a loud clashing on the stairs. Someone had finally heard and become suspicious. "Time for us to go home, Albus," Scorpius said hurriedly and sent a locking charm towards the door. The handle rattled not a moment later and the blonde grabbed both his father and Albus, bringing them close to his body.

When they landed again, the iron stench of blood had disappeared. Harry Potter was no longer lying still at their feet. Instead, they were standing outside of the Riddle Manor. Morning had broken, showing Albus very plainly the blood that stained him and, as he looked to his side, Draco. His lip quivered but he found that shock was preventing him from being able to cry anymore.

He allowed Scorpius to force him back inside the house of his nightmares. The door slammed resolutely behind them, sealing his fate with it.

"He is dead," Albus heard Scorpius say when they stopped walking. He looked up, recognizing the study he had been given that first day here. Again, sitting in his chair was Tom. A lascivious grin spread over his lips and he stood, raising his knotted wand.

A flash of blinding green light caused Draco to fall with a dull thunk to the floor. Upon his lips was fixed an almost content expression. Both Albus and Scorpius stared down at the cold body with a little less than shock.

"You...you said he would be safe... If I had him do this, you said he would be dealt no harm!" Scorpius screeched, not taking his eyes off of his father.

Albus looked up to see the satisfied smirk pulling at Tom's lips as he retook his seat. "Oops," he said quietly, toeing Draco's arm and flinging it away from his feet. "I suppose I lied."


	12. something you cannot replace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for some...controversial content. And the song is "Fix You" by Coldplay. Enjoy lovelies!

Again, Albus was only able to find solace if he lying on a bed of silk. He holed up in the same room as last time, lifeless by appearance. If one were to watch long enough, though, they would see that every once in a while he drew in a small breath of air. He was also awake this time. The drama of a fake coma was too much to muster. He simply didn't have the energy or capacity of mind. What he settled for, instead, was a simple state of mindlessness.

He had lost the ability to want to live.

The death of his father had shaken him beyond the point of recognition. And after watching Draco Malfoy perish not long after, he had retreated to this room almost unthinkingly. His feet had carried him back to this bed, the only safe place left in this house. The solace of it, somehow, wasn't enough though. He had to retreat into the corners of his mind still to escape the reality that surrounded him.

Harry Potter was dead.

His _father_ was dead.

And it was entirely his fault.

Never had he felt guiltier in his life. Tears weren't even enough to show the depth of the chasm forming in his heart. So he didn't even try. All he could do was lay there, curled up close to himself. He wouldn't eat, wouldn't speak. The urge to get up and use the bathroom was a feeling he turned off. Which was an easy thing to do. All over, he felt numb.

The only thing he had to actually fight was the urge to sleep. Every time his lids felt heavy, he began to panic. But he couldn't stop it. His body and his soul were weary. He needed the relief of sleep. But whenever he would give in to the blackness, it would absolutely consume him. He would be sucked into the very depression that was taking over his whole being. Through these nightmares, he would relive Harry's death in a million different ways. From his point of view, through Draco's eyes, in front of Hogwarts, in his childhood home. Every possible different situation ran through his mind and he would wake up screaming every time.

Except he couldn't vocalize these shouts. He would open his mouth and nothing would come out. It was like he was in his own silent, lethargic hell. A hell plagued with vivid memories and frightened shivers. It was cold, dark, unwelcoming, and endless.

By the end of the second day, Albus had decided to kill himself.

It seemed to be the only way to escape everything wrong with his life. To end it. If only he could muster up the vitality to move, he could end everything once and for all. He could be rejoined with his father in whatever the afterlife held. The afterlife was filled with a slew of brave, amazing people. People he had never had the chance to meet due to the two previous wars. If he died, he could see everyone. He could finally meet the men and women from his parents' stories.

Lily and James Potter, his paternal grandparents who gave everything to save their son's life. Remus and Nymphadora Lupin, Teddys brave and loving parents. Sirius Black, his father's trusting and reliable godfather. His own namesakes – Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape, men who were so devoted to vanquishing You-Know-Who that they gave everything they had to the cause. And all of the others who died along the way. The ones everyone talked about with such admiration. Would it be so bad to die if he could see them all?

But the willpower never came to him. He couldn't force himself to sit up, even. The only attempt he could make on his own life was to hold his breath. He would stop breathing for nearly a minute, feeling the burning in his lungs as they craved oxygen. Somehow, though, he couldn't keep it. He gave in every time to his body's needs. He couldn't make himself die no matter how hard he tried.

Maybe he didn't really want to kill himself, deep down.

It was just that he felt so hopeless and comatose, yet so vividly awake at the same time. He wanted to feel something different than pain. He wanted to be happy again. He wanted the remorse to disappear completely.

He didn't want to have to face his family again after what had happened.

Surely, they were all going to blame him. They had already started before the attack. What was there to stop then now? Now there was proof. They could outwardly point fingers at him for the death of Harry. He was there and he didn't stop it. It was his lover of sorts that did the slaughtering. That all circled around so the liability fell with him. No doubt they would have him hang for it, one way or another.

"And here we are again." Albus didn't turn, didn't move to look who was in the room. The disturbing to his thoughts was easy to pick out by voice alone. Scorpius had finally come to see him after three, four days. He'd been waiting for it, honestly. Was surprised that it hadn't happened sooner. "You're hiding from me again, aren't you Albus?"

There was something lacking in Scorpius' voice this time. He spoke with much less confidence. His tone was hollow and empty. And as he sat upon the edge of the bed, there was no grace to him. He was heavy and hard, the furthest thing from himself.

Albus didn't move an inch, though. He recognized the difference, but it wasn't enough to shake him quite yet.

"Don't do this to me again, Albus! I _know_ you're awake in there! Your goddamn eyes are open! You can't hide from me again." Al felt the sharp sting of a slap against his cheek. It startled him enough to flinch. This was the first time he'd felt anything besides anguish and detachment since that morning. His eyes welled with tears for the first time since being here. "You need to get your ass out of this bed! Wallowing here in your own self-fucking-pity will do you no good!

"Those feelings you have coursing through you right now? You need to use them to your advantage, Albus," Scorpius continued in a hoarse whisper to his ear. He was no more than an inch away, glaring down at him. Al could feel it and it sent an uncomfortable tremor down his spine. "You're angry, you're frustrated. You want _vengeance_. But the vengeance you want isn't against me or the Dark Lord. Look deep within yourself. You'll realize that who you're most angry with is those who allowed that to happen to your father. No one had his back. No one was there to protect him. You're young. How could you have been expected to be the only one to help him? The great Harry Potter didn't even have his so-called friends there to save him from things he could no longer handle. It's their fault not yours.

"So who are you really angry with?"

There was no way Albus could deny what Scorpius was saying. He was, indeed, furious. And he felt betrayed that this man he supposedly loved would do something so vile. But there was truth to this, as well. His father's family and friends were so lack in their safety for Harry. No one else was there with him through the night. Why did his barely-graduated son have to be the one to comfort him as he worried over the missing presence of someone he loved so dearly?

Slowly, Al blinked and stretched his neck to the side. An irritated vein was beginning to twitch within it and he set his jaw in a squared line. It took him a good, long moment, but he began to sit up and turn towards Scorpius. They wore matching expressions – ones of indignation fueled by the empty pit that used to be their heart. Somehow, both found solace in the fact that they shared something. They had both lost a father four days ago. Even if neither of them could say it out loud, they were hurting deep inside.

"Go eat something before you waste away to nothing," Scorpius put a wall up over his emotions, his face becoming a mask. His fear of being vulnerable was more than obvious.

With a slow nod that lacked any semblance of feelings, Albus turned and stood out of the bed. He stripped down out of his cousin's clothes without a single thought and crossed to the wardrobe. All of his things were where he had left them when Draco had taken him away. He pulled a new set of clothing out, breathing in his own scent mixed with the mustiness Scorpius' added to the mix. It smelt like...something new. Something he could start to call home.

He _needed_ a place to call home now.

After pulling on his trousers, Albus forced his arms through the holes of a button-down shirt. But that was all he could make himself to do. He stared down at the buttons, wishing they would put themselves through the loops. He wasn't sure if he was able to do it himself. And then a pair of strong, pale hands was upon them, closing up his shirt for him. A grateful smile pooled in his eyes but couldn't reach his lips as he stared forward at Scorpius. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, his first words since his father's death.

"Don't thank me. Just be stronger. Weakness will be preyed upon in the sort of company you'll find here. Don't let someone take advantage of your emotions." Scorpius finished with the last button and straightened Albus' collar. "Now, food. Eat until you're full." With that, he turned on his heel and strode from the room.

Albus' tired feet attempted to follow and keep pace with him. But Scorpius was much faster. He was able to make it down the hall and up the stairs to an undisclosed location before Al had made it past their doorframe. He frowned softly, then sighed and headed for downstairs. He could smell amazing things cooking in the kitchen before he'd even reached the last step. His nose carried him to the door and inside before he could even contemplate what he was doing. He was just so hungry.

For a moment, the three elves in the kitchen merely stared at Albus. But soon they were rushing around, setting out large platters of food on the counters. They made suggestions as to what was best and what he _must_ try. He watched them all bustle over him, frowning a bit. He would think they would all be afraid of him; afraid of everyone in this house. But they went about as if things were so normal.

His questions were all answered as the littlest house elf, Snivy, looked up at him in admiration while pouring his pumpkin juice. He remembered the night that he and Scorpius had their date. The good, early parts of the night. He remembered how Scorpius had hurt the poor creature. How he had mended his arm. Slowly, he smiled at the elf child and uttered a quiet thank you. Snivy ran off, back to the other two who he assumed were the parents, giggling and beaming.

Though his stomach was in knots full of anger, hate, hurt, confusion, and despair, Albus took a plate full of everything offered. With such kindness, he felt it rude to dismiss anything. The house elves were so...sweet. It was just the kind of compassion he needed to be able to forget his troubles. If it were that easy...

He ate until he was full, just as he was told. But it was hard to determine just what that was. He felt so unbelievably empty to begin with. Food wasn't quite the right thing to fill that hole. With every swallow, he could just feel himself growing heavier. There was a difference between being full and satisfied. The latter was harder to come by.

As he finished eating, the elder male house elf took his plate and cleaned up around him. He had been aware that Snivy had left, and when the little one returned he held fresh bandages. The stench of his arm became all too real as he looked down at it. When he moved, pain coursed up all the way to his shoulder. He hissed, tearing off the soiled wrappings quickly. Underneath laid a festering mess of puss and blood. It made him physically sick to look at it.

The youngling, however, had no problem with it. The small creature took its time to do things right, carefully peeling off the old dressings and cleaning the gash down the length of Albus' arm. It didn't flinch once at the smell and was absolutely gentle throughout. Once the wound was rewrapped, Snivy stepped back and bowed gently at the man.

Albus smiled softly and stood, patting the little elf's head. "Thank you... Thank you very much."

"Anything for Master Potter," the female said softly, placing a hand on her child's shoulder. "And Master Potter...Snivy, Winky, and Fenner are sorry for Master Potter. They're sorry for his father."

A sharp pain shot through his heart and he had to place his hand on the back of a chair to steady himself. All he could manage was a nod before walking out of the room, away from the reminder of his ache.

But as soon as he began to ascend the stairs, he realized he had nowhere to go. He couldn't find solace in this place. No matter where he turned, there would always be something to show him glimpses of what terrified him most. He whimpered softly and ran up the stairs quicker. His feet carried him back to the familiarity of the bedroom and into the soft feel of the sheets. Tears were streaming down his cheeks before he could stop them. He felt weak. Tired and weak and hopeless. Helpless.

_Man up...._

Albus swallowed hard, sitting up and staring down at the floor. Subconsciously, he knew he was acting quite pathetic. They were in the middle of a war and all he could do was lie in bed and weep? What was he, a preteen girl?

Somewhere not too far off, he became aware that a shower was running. Slowly, he looked up towards the bathroom connected to this room by a single door. He wiped away his tears as if they were nothing before standing and crossing to the door. Muffled sounds of anguish crossed to him along the trails of steam. "Scorpius...?" he probed gently and pushed the door open.

The sounds ceased almost immediately. Through the thin curtain, Albus could see a lithe figure facing the spigot. He had one hand braced against the wall, shoulder-length hair hanging haphazardly in his face. The man didn't speak or make any recognition of the other's presence. He was quiet and still.

"You're crying," Al noticed softly, lowering himself upon the closed lid of the toilet.

For a long moment, Scorpius said nothing. But he must have given up trying to put up a front. He sighed deeply, slamming his fist against the tile of the shower. "You are not the only one who has lost a father...," he muttered, words nearly drowned out by the water beating down upon him.

Despite his best efforts, Albus couldn't hold his tongue. His fists clenched at his sides and he growled low, " _You_ killed my father. In essence, _you_ killed your father, as well. How _dare_ you mourn his death!"

The laugh that passed Scorpius' lips was haunting. He slowly raised his head, turning to look in the other man's general direction. "How _dare_ I? He was my father, Albus." Again, he turned his head down, breath escaping him with grief. "I may not have been the perfect son, but I would be a fool to ignore his passing. Especially as it wasn't something I was expecting..."

"You had to have known! Draco was expendable to your precious Lord! You were just too blind to see it. You're ignorant and selfish! And because of you, you've crushed the heart of someone you supposedly care for. Me." Albus was on his feet before he'd even realized it. Anger was boiling his blood, bringing him more bravery than he ever knew he had.

"I. Know."

Al's face screwed up in confusion. He took a step back from the tub. The level of caring that laced those two words caught him completely off guard. It was more feeling than the man had truly ever shown. They left him wanting to ask more questions; wanting more truth. But he found he had nothing to say. He was stunned into absolute silence.

"I regret what I have done. But it _had_ to be done, Albus. I didn't have a choice. Never have a choice..." Scorpius straightened up behind the curtain, running his fingers through the drenched locks upon his head. "You and I were both raised a certain way. You were raised to be your father. I was raised...to be everything my father _couldn't_ be."

For some reason, Albus felt his heart going out towards the blonde. He felt sorry for him, but it made no sense. This man had killed his father, tortured him, abused him, used him. And yet here he was with an ounce of pity stirring in his heart. It was that feeling that made him stay and even take a step back towards the shower.

"You could've had a choice. There's always a choice, Scorpius..." Gently, Al pulled back the curtain, looking fully upon the pale, naked body before him. He found it hard to swallow and struggled to meet the silver, lifeless eyes instead of wandering over soaked skin. "You just...have to have the judgment...to make the right choice..."

For a moment, the air was still but for the water dripping down steadily on Scorpius' head. He blinked at Albus softly; beads of what could have been tears sliding down his cheeks. Green was hooked onto silver, occasionally straying down to light pink. In the end, it was the blonde who made the first move. He reached forward, tangling his fingers in the mussed dark locks and jamming their lips together.

Albus attempted to struggle, but the grip was too tight. He whined softly, gripping at the shower curtain and causing it to come crashing to the floor along with the rod. Scorpius was unperturbed. He pulled Al closer, dragging him into the tub and under the warm spray. His lips moved down to the man's neck, biting and suckling like a hungry animal.

"S-Scor-"

"Shh," Scorpius muttered against the wet skin under his lips and reached up to cover Albus' mouth with his free, strong hand.

But Albus couldn't keep quiet. Not as Scorpius' fingers wandered downwards. He could feel the button of his trousers being popped and couldn't help but to struggle. Nearly screaming against his restraint, he attempted to push him away. This was too fast, too harsh. He wasn't ready for this but it didn't seem Scorpius was remotely willing to stop.

At this point, something inside of Albus broke. He gave up. A part of him detached from the rest and he tuned out what was happening. Under different circumstances, he was sure he wouldn't have had to. But this wasn't right. There was something off and evil about it. Just as he had done by going into a 'coma' after Tom's resurrection, he checked out of reality completely to avoid it.

When Scorpius forced him up against the wall, his sopping wet pants around his ankles, he stared limply at the tile before him. He could hear the gentle words being whispered in his ear, but ignored them because he couldn't bear to hear it all. He didn't want to know that Scorpius loved him any ounce as he was touching him in that way. As he was forcing himself upon him.

He didn't even wince as the first finger slid up inside of him. The only signs that he'd felt it were the slight curl of his fingers upon the shower wall and the gentle, involuntary hardening of his prick. The second finger, however, invoked a more real reaction. The pain was almost too much. He couldn't keep removed from something so real. He doubled over a bit, biting his lip and letting a groan escape despite his best efforts.

"The pain will pass," Scorpius breathed gently in his ear, contrasting the burning sensation at Albus' entrance strangely.

There were a million protests that Albus so badly wanted to scream out. He _wanted_ to be able to tell Scorpius to stop. Some part of him didn't allow the words to come out, though. Some sadistic part.

After a few stretches to the delicate ring of skin, Scorpius added yet another finger. This time, Albus struggled to remove the intrusion. He reached back, grabbing ahold of the man's strong arm and tried to push him back. "Albus, relax," Scorpius hissed, pushing him back up against the wall of the shower. "You're only going to hurt yourself..." As much as Al tried to wriggle away from the fingers they just kept moving and stretching him out.

Tears were in his eyes, but he almost felt relieved when the digits were removed. Scorpius' grip on his didn't lessen at all, however. If anything, he held him down harder. There was a fearful anticipation settling into Albus' bones in the seconds between assaults. He knew what was coming. The wait for it was worse than anything he could ever imagine physically feeling.

"Try and relax," Scorpius whispered, pressing his cock up against Albus' prepped entrance. "And...say you love me..." He began entering inch by agonizing inch. "Because I love you, Albus..."

Albus couldn't speak; much less utter those fragile words. All that he could muster was the effort it took to attempt to ease the tension in his muscles. It did help to mask the sting just a little bit. And he couldn't deny the feelings of pleasure and warmth prickling every inch of his skin.

It was still a bad idea. But he couldn't escape the thought that it wasn't... _all_ bad. It hurt. Scorpius was a Dark man. He hadn't given his permission. Yet...he rather liked the feeling of being so full of something so sinful. So full of _something_. And when Scorpius pulled back out just a bit, he dragged along a part of Albus that caused him to moan his name without restraint.

"Close enough," Scorpius said softly, pressing a kiss to Al's slick back.

From that point on, Albus forgot everything he had been afraid of. He made a specific point not to tune this experience out. It felt rather beautiful once he gave in to it. His loud sounds of absolute bliss attested to that. He couldn't resist getting into the rhythm of Scorpius' thrusts, meeting him in a harsh unison that had both of their cocks weeping in no time.

The swells of passion had a limit, though. There were only so many minutes they could be so wonderfully intimate without a conclusion. Scorpius couldn't even give a warning, it came on so fast. Albus was even further filled by his lover's hot seed, causing him to spread his own upon the tile of the shower wall. Breathing erratic, his head fell back against Scorpius' shoulder in defeat.

No longer could he question it. Albus was fully committed to this man, even if he had no idea why. He found he couldn't run, couldn't detach from Scorpius no how hard he tried. He had ample opportunity as the shower was switched off and they walked back towards their bed. Though they were sopping wet, they crawled in under the silk sheets together.

Scorpius felt secure. He felt safe.

The arms around Albus were more than he felt he could ask for at the moment. This man may have been the whole reason his father was dead. But somehow the universe wanted him to get past that.

There was something bigger in store for them, he could just sense it.

"Shortly before my third year of school...my father took me to Diagon Alley. It was just us. He bought me all of my school things; the finest money could buy. And he was determined that I make the Slytherin Quidditch team, so he bought me the newest, best broom. It was the best time I had ever had with him. I think it was because Mother wasn't around. We even went for ice cream afterwards instead of dinner. He said it would be our secret..." Scorpius pressed his lips softly to Albus' forehead, ignoring the glistening beads of sadness upon his cheeks. "It made me think about what my mother and I were doing. About all the secrets we were keeping from him. I went home and told Mother that I wanted nothing more to do with this plan. I didn't want to lie to Father anymore. That was the first time I ever felt the Cruciatus Curse. She didn't let up when I screamed. She didn't let up when I passed out. She wanted me to know that...I had no say. I had no choice. And she was right. I don't. I never will.

"My fate is not determined by me."

Albus frowned, tucking his head closely into Scorpius' chest. If anyone knew anything about choices, it was surely him. He was making a big choice right now by staying at Scorpius' side, his father's murderer. He wrapped his arms tighter around Scorpius and whispered softly, "You _always_ have a choice, Scorpius. Don't let your dead mother boss you around anymore. My dead father won't influence anything I do any longer." He kissed the man's chest gently and closed his tired eyes. "But there was one thing he said I think we need to listen to..."

"What's that?" Scorpius said lazily, almost sounding bored.

"You can't be Tom's bitch anymore. You're stronger than him."


	13. cross out what i've become

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for this fic is "What I've Done" by Linkin Park and that is all I have to say besides I hope you enjoy it!

In the span of a second, Scorpius was on his knees and looming over Albus. His left hand held firm to the other's jaw, while his right clenched his throat. "Saying things like that will get you killed," he hissed.

Though his eyes widened, neither shock nor fear crossed Albus' face. He said coolly, "I stand by what I said, Scorpius."

Scorpius' fingers gripped around Al's precious windpipe for a moment. But they went slack when the dark-haired man's expression remained unchanged. "Why would you say that?" he asked quietly. His countenance was that of complete bafflement.

"Because I believe in you."

Gently, Scorpius released him and lay back down. He kept his eyes on the ceiling for the longest time. When he finally spoke, his tone was absolutely vulnerable. "Albus, that is...ridiculous."

Albus sat up, his back against the headboard. He ran his fingers through Scorpius' flowing blonde hair with a strange, wistful smile. "I've seen you in classes. You have...an amazing amount of magic within you. The way you cast spells, it's like you were born to do something great."

"It's the magic of my mother and...and my brother. It strengthened me..."

"You don't sound exactly pleased about that." Albus leaned down to press a kiss to Scorpius' pale forehead. "The point is - you're powerful. More powerful than that...awful man you raised from the dead."

Scorpius covered Al's mouth quickly, making desperate hushing sounds. "He will murder you without a moment's hesitation. Shut. Up."

A glimmer of fright crossed over Albus for the first time. He swallowed hard before pushing the hand away from his lips. When he spoke again, his words were quiet and cautious. "Okay, okay. But I still mean what I said. You could do it."

A frustrated sigh passed Scorpius' lips. "Get up. Get dressed," he growled, doing the same. He pulled on trousers and a simple shirt, and then scraped his blonde locks back into a loose ponytail.

Albus watched with a dry mouth, unable to take his eyes off the man's beautiful body. He was absolutely unsure of how he had come to this point, but there was nothing in his life he had ever been surer about. The act they just committed – the one he had been so against from the beginning – had solidified that for him. His smile towards Scorpius was genuine. Despite what the other may have done to him, he couldn't help but to love him unconditionally. And he really had no solid reason as to why.

"Close your mouth." Scorpius smacked his shoulder, rolling his eyes impatiently.

"Sorry," Albus whispered and did as he was told.

Once they were both decent, the men snuck through the house. They tip-toed around every corner, making for certain they weren't seen.

But their precautions weren't enough.

"Have you finished sodomizing your consort?"

Tom stood just outside the manor, observing a rose bush. His smile was evil and fully malicious as he eyed Albus. It sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine, causing him to step behind Scorpius for protection.

"If you have, there is a rather important function to attend."

Scorpius remained strong under Tom's harsh glare. He took a firm hold on Al's upper arm and turned down the path to the gate. "We were actually just heading out. Take my grandfather in my place."

Tom's laugh matched his dangerous expression. He waved the powerful wand, stopping Scorpius frozen in his tracks. "Death Eater attendance is necessary, young Malfoy. Though you have cast glamours to hide your Dark Mark, it still resides upon your arm." Another flick of the wand caused black ink to pen its way across Scorpius' left forearm. The lines took on the definitive picture of a skull with a snake winding out of its mouth. A sight that made Albus shift away from him in disgust.

"What are we doing that is so important?" Scorpius said resignedly, massaging his temple.

Following a dark chuckle, Tom stepped closer to Scorpius. His fingers drummed against a folded newspaper at his side as he looked more than satisfied. "Harry Potter's memorial service is taking place as we speak. Now how could I pass up such a wonderful opportunity to take my control? It is the perfect time to expose myself. To take what is rightfully mine."

"Wh-what?"

Albus' whisper increased the mirth about Tom's lips. "Being catatonic for four days has its disadvantages, doesn't it?" He tossed the newspaper towards the other man before turning back to Scorpius and taking the jinx off.

_The murder of Harry James Potter is no doubt one of the most devastating events to have happened since the Second Wizarding War. His passing has taken its toll on the entire population. For this reason, his friends and family have organized a memorial service in the great hero's name. The ceremony will start at three o'clock on the twenty-ninth of August in the Atrium of the Ministry for Magic, London, England._

"The ceremony began a half hour ago. Every person that matters will be in attendance."

_Those closest to Mr. Potter are encouraged to speak. The minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt, has agreed to say a piece. As have his ex-wife, Ginevra Weasley; children, James and Lily Potter; friends, Ron and Hermione Weasley; and godson, Edward Lupin._

"Your aunt Daphne is already there. She is positioned close to the podium. Security will be tight, as your father was kind enough to tip the minister off about my return. Therefore, when she calls we have to act fast. Lucius has worked hard to strengthen our ranks in the last few days. We should have no problem taking control of the ministry once we have apparated inside."

_Correspondingly, Harry Potter's son, Albus Potter, is still missing. Any information regarding his whereabouts can be reported to the secretaries in the Auror Office._

When Albus finished reading the small article, he looked up with tears in his eyes. Scorpius met his gaze solidly, a trace of empathy about him. "Surely bringing Albus along to the ministry will be a horrible idea," he said quietly, knowing that they could not just leave him alone in the manor.

"He will be the only thing to ensure our takeover. A hostage, if you will." Tom raised a brow over at Albus. "Dry your tears, boy." He roughly grabbed the man's arm, twisting it behind his back and jabbing his wand into his throat. "You don't want to disgrace your father by looking like a coward, do you?"

Albus' face held absolutely no expression. Inside, he was mourning and aching at the mention of his father's bravery. In the end, it hadn't helped him one bit. So just what would Harry think about him right now? Would he be proud or angered by his son's submission?

Tom's lips twitched before Al could come up with a response. He held a sickening smile. "It's time," he said in no more than a whisper. He thrust Albus into Scorpius' arms before raising his mighty wand into the air. "Ready?"

There was the smallest flicker of hesitation in Scorpius' eyes as he gripped onto his lover's arm. Something had changed in him. Albus could feel it. It both scared and relieved him. "Yes, my Lord," the blonde said quietly.

In an instant, the Dark Lord had disappeared. Then Scorpius flinched, pressed a kiss to the other's temple, and disapparated them both. When they touched down, too many eyes and gasps to count greeted them.

None of them mattered to Albus, though. Not until he glimpsed those he had been looking for. They sat behind him on the raised platform. Shock was on their faces, along with some small amount of fear. Lily looked the most scared. Her beautiful brown eyes looked doe-like as she took in the visage of the terrifying man commanding their attention.

"Albus!" he heard his mother shriek the moment Tom made reference to his hostage in his speech. The dull pain of Scorpius' wand was in his neck. His eyes met hers, begging for her to remain calm. He'd already lost one parent; there was no sense in losing both.

Other than Ginny's sobbing and protests, the Ministry atrium was deadly silent. Everyone stared around at the Death Eaters, both cloaked and uncloaked, like they were afraid to believe it was real. The odds of this happening to the world a third time was unbelievable. And that fact that it was so blatant that Voldemort could win this time was chilling them to their very bones. They didn't know how to react. Even if the aurors and brave men and women stepped up to do something against these people, there was the risk of hurting innocent people. And what of Harry Potter's son? Was his life worth risking?

"Harry Potter is dead. It is time you put your faith in a new savior." The grin Tom showed to the full room was deadly and oozed mock. "I am Lord Voldemort, and I am your new leader. To cross me would be death. Questions?"

A single brave soul stepped forward from the crowd. Her fists were clenched and she reeked of determination. "Harry may be gone, but there will always be someone around to take you down! You're an abomination! And you will not win! Not this time! NOT ANY TIME!"

The way Tom sent the Killing Curse at Cho Chang truly exemplified how fed up he was with brave souls. It was lazy and careless, almost missing her petite figure. In the end, however, it did latch onto her and she fell lifelessly to the floor. No one rushed to help her up. No one wanted to meet the same fate. They were starting to realize just how badly being a hero could end.

The cowardice in the room made Albus visibly cringe. Scorpius' arm tightened around his chest and he sighed softly. It seemed as if he, too, were slightly disappointed in humanity.

"Anyone else have anything negative to say to your new minister?" Collectively, everyone's eyes roamed over to Kingsley Shacklebolt standing at the edge of the stage. His wand was drawn, expression unwavering. He wasn't going down without a fight. He easily deflected the first curse Tom sent his way, making motions for everyone to leave the stage. He was at least thinking of the safety of others, even if they weren't thinking for themselves.

The Weasleys and Potters ran from the stage quickly. They knew trouble. Lord Voldemort was trouble. He was a trouble none of them were ready to face. But that didn't stop Ginny from taking a backwards glance at her son, tears flowing down her cheeks as she went.

"Let the Potter boy go, Voldemort." Kingsley's voice was rational and measured. It was as if he was afraid the very tone of his words would set the man off. "This fight need not involve him. Keep it between those who are your real threats."

Though it was meant to help with his release, Albus couldn't help but to feel a stab of pain at the words. He was no threat to anyone, apparently. A harmless child. Was that how the world saw him? He frowned, chancing a look up at Scorpius. He was surprised to see those silver eyes meet his own mossy ones, conveying a feeling of sympathy. Along with a hint of outrage that he couldn't quite identify...

Somewhere behind Kingsley rang a haunting laugh. It chilled Al's very bones and he couldn't help the fright sinking into the pit of his stomach. It almost wasn't even a laugh. The animalistic tone to it made it more of a feral cackle. And it belonged to an even wilder looking woman. Her dark brown locks looked as if they hadn't been brushed in years. There were snarls through what might have once been curls, along with various beads, threads, and feathers. With a little bit of care, she might have been stylish. But since she seemed to neglect any form of hygiene, she ended up looking like a homeless lady twice her age.

The wand she brandished looked as sick and twisted as she was. From the handle to the tip was scorched and sooty. But maybe that was how it was created. Maybe it was made to be a dark witch's vessel for magic. Regardless, any wand paired with that viperish face was something Albus didn't want to be the target of. He tried to take a step back, but Scorpius held their position. They didn't have the option of escape.

And neither did the minister.

Before Kingsley could even turn to face his assailant, the flash of green light had stilled him. He fell with a dull thunk upon the platform, taking any hope with him. The room was full of a hundreds of souls clinging to despair. It was like liquid gold to Tom.

The man smiled fondly over at his brave follower, beckoning her forward. The woman grinned obediently, showing off her not-so-pearly-whites as she nearly skipped over to her master. "You did wonderful, Vega. You would have done your mother proud." This only increased the smile upon her chapped, cracked lips.

"Now that the distractions have been taken care of..." Tom turned back to the crowd, signaling his Death Eaters. They circled in, forming a ring around everyone to fence them all in. "Don't even think about escape, powerful spells crafted by my followers will prevent you from disapparating without painfully severing every limb from your torso." When he grinned, bile rose in Albus' throat. He swallowed hard, trying not to believe what his eyes told him was so tangible. "All that I ask for is your devotion. And if you plot against me, death by hanging will be routine punishment." He shrugged, clearly taking enjoyment in the shared gasp.

"And the first to go will be the family of your heightened god." Tom snapped his fingers, nodding towards where Albus' family was huddled together for protection and support. Ginny screamed, struggling to cover her children, her brothers, everyone she held close. The Death Eaters pulled at arms, dragging people out however they could.

It wasn't long before every living Weasley, Potter, and close relative was on the stage again. A silver noose fashioned out of pure magic loomed over the head of the tiniest of them all. Remi stared up at it in fascination, not understanding the danger of its presence in the room. Nor that she would be the first to go as she was lifted up onto the stool that rose up to the perfect height for her small stature.

Horror was pounding through Albus with every beat of his heart. He frantically turned in Scorpius' horrified, slacked grasp and gripped the front of his shirt. "Do something! You want a chance to redeem yourself for killing my dad? Help them and I will forgive everything!"

"Shh!" Scorpius placed his hand firmly over Al's mouth, cutting off any further pleas. His eyes were completely fixed on one spot. On Tom's wand.

Suddenly, the weight of the Snitch in Albus' pocket became more than apparent. He recalled his father's words with an almost startled gasp. _"Do not let him have control of it."_ Harry hadn't been talking about the ball! He'd been talking about...

In a split second, Scorpius had pushed Albus away from him and onto the floor before dashing over to Tom. The man hardly had a chance to take a breath before his precious Elder Wand was snatched from between his fingers.

Tom's snarl mixed with Scorpius' triumphant yell. The younger man waved the wand, yelling loud enough for the whole of the atrium to hear, "Everyone disapparate NOW!"

Most everyone was able to get out before the Death Eaters caught up after the initial shock. The only ones left were Voldemort, his followers, the two lifeless bodies, and a few stray underage children. In the silence of the empty hall, there was no trouble hearing Tom's curses and threats to the empty spot where Scorpius once stood.

When Albus could no longer feel tension surrounding him, he gave a sigh of relief. He looked to his side, a newfound love for Scorpius radiating off of him. He didn't care where they were. They were safe; he could feel it. And the way he felt at that moment caused him to jump into the other's arms, kissing him more passionately than he ever had. His hands were everywhere, gripping anything he could. The immensity of his gratefulness was making him heady and willing. He would do anything Scorpius asked. In that split second that he had seen his whole family disappear, Albus knew that he had made the right choice that night at the bar.

They were down on the ground, Al's knees pressing into dry, dead leaves. It crunched beneath him as he shifted closer to his lover. The sound made his whole body tingle. He couldn't recall a time when he had wanted someone or something more than he wanted Scorpius now. More than he _needed_ him.

But it wasn't the time for appreciative, carnal sex. Scorpius' hand was on Albus' chest, pushing him back with a soft whining sigh. His eyes were wide, the weight of what he'd just done crashing down on him. He had just taken everything he'd worked so hard at for most of his life and smashed it to pieces. For a moment, his heart quickened in speed and he felt as if he couldn't breathe.

The feeling of helplessness didn't last long.

Scorpius took a deep breath, eyes closed as he cleared his mind. This was no different. His directive had changed, but he still had a job to do. He was on a different side; a new side. There were goals to achieve.

"Give me the Snitch," he said quietly, looking up at Albus. The other stared at him for a moment, thoughtless, before instinctively reaching for his necklace. "The other one, Albus." Scorpius' voice took on a tone of impatience, hand extending greedily. Al was quicker to grab the one from his pocket, but hesitant to hand it over. The blonde wasted no time in snatching it from him, examining its gold surface. "Obviously your father thought this would help..."

"I don't see how," Albus said quietly, looking around where they had come to settle. There was nothing inherently special about this place, but he felt safe. The trees surrounding them were like a canopy of solace. And the ground, though hard, was littered with leaves and other foliage that made it perfectly comfortable. "It's just a damn ball. He was talking about...not letting Tom-"

A sharp look cut from Scorpius' eyes and straight through Albus. His voice was like ice as he hissed at the other, "Tom? And what do you think gives you the right to call him _Tom_?"

"That is how he introduced himself to me..."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, shrugging Al off. "Well we just majorly defied him, Albus. Let's call him by a more suitable name for our crime."

It was all Albus could do to keep his tone even. He was frustrated, it was a bit chilly here, and he had just almost seen his entire family hung. Something about being told off right now just irked him. "And what would you have me call that monster? Our most precious and exalted Dark Lord? Because I won't, Scorpius."

"Lord Voldemort. You will call him Lord Voldemort. That is the name he took the day he decided to become that _thing_."

"Despite how many times he had died and come back, no matter what he has done, we still fight him because somewhere deep down he is still human. And that human part is what we are most scared of. I think he's scared of it, too. So...I'm going to continue to call him Tom Riddle. That is who he is deep down and that is what we must defeat." Never in his life had Albus felt he'd said something more powerful. He stared down at the ground, truly feeling like his father's son for possibly the first time. There was a shadow of a smile on his lips and he couldn't help but to chuckle a bit.

A brush of cold metal to his lips brought him back to the real world and what was at hand. He frowned over at Scorpius who had just touched the Snitch to his chapped pouts. Before both their eyes, the delicate wings unfolded. The ball hovered above them momentarily, like it was trying to keep their attention. "Why would it react to me...?" Albus whispered quietly, standing in order to keep it within arms' reach.

"I think he somehow transferred the...the flesh memories to you. Honestly, I didn't know that was possible." Scorpius frowned, standing as well. "Grab it. There has to be a reason he would do that, right?"

Nodding, Al reached out for the Snitch. The instant his fingers closed around the gold surface, the ball burned white hot. He hissed and cried out, jerking his hand back while glaring up at the flying object. "It burned me!"

Scorpius paid no mind to the angry red his lover's digits were turning. He tilted his head, stepping closer to the Snitch with a curious frown upon his lips. "There's something written upon the surface, Albus. I swear it happened just now. Grab it."

"But it-"

" _Grab it_!"

Albus took a moment to steal a calming breath before once more approaching the Snitch. He was a little more cautious as he reached for it this time. But when he finally grasped it, no scorching sensation came from it. He was able to hold onto it and bring it closer for examination. "Catari Syphe," he read in a small, slightly wary voice. "Catari Syphe. Who the bloody hell is that?"

A dangerous smile begun to slip onto Scorpius' lips. He took a step away from Albus, reeking of triumph. "Catari Syphe, huh?" He chuckled darkly and held up the knotted wand he'd taken. "I'm willing to bet he's the reason this" he nodded down at the wand "doesn't react to Voldemort as well as it should."


	14. i'll bleed you dry now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good God, it's been ages since I updated this one. But I had a craving... This chapter has been sitting mostly written for far too long. Why not finish it?! So here it is. It's a bit short and a bit...lacking in action. But it's at least posted. And now I can start working on the next one! So pleasepleaseplease review and let me know what you honestly think! Whatever it is that you think. Thanks and enjoy the read!
> 
> Also, the song for this chapter is "Blood" by In This Moment. Mostly because I feel the song is an inner dialogue to how Albus is feeling.

"I...I don't understand," Albus said quietly. He took a step closer to the blonde man, a frown upon his lips. "It's just a wand, right? Maybe it doesn't work well for him because it didn't choose him."

"No." Scorpius ran his fingers over the soft elder wood, smiling fondly. "No, it is because he had not yet mastered it as he believes."

Puzzlement only grew deeper on Al's face. "How do you master a wand?"

Scorpius' limited patience drew to an end. He sighed, rolling his eyes, and used a degrading tone to further his explanation. "Did your father tell you nothing?" The blank look in those green eyes answered without words. "Well...yes, I suppose he'd want to keep this a secret. It's quite tempting. Quite dangerous."

"Scorpius, wh-"

"Did your parents ever read you _The_ _Tale of the Three Brothers_?" Scorpius asked hastily.

It took Albus a moment to recount the story. A child's bedtime read, really. Something he hadn't thought about since he was rather young. His palate for reading had matured fast.

But, yes, he did in fact remember the story in the end. It was about cheating death. He recalled this most of all because his father grew angry whenever James would lust for that possibility. He'd thought it quite strange.

"The wand made from elder... The first brother's gift from Death, right?" Albus snorted, looking again at the wand the other held. "That's just a silly nursery rhyme."

The look Scorpius gave Al made him question that fact. "The Deathly Hallows are real, Albus. And your father mastered them all. He still has the Cloak of Invisibility. I'm sure you've seen it. Probably used it. The Resurrection Stone... Well, nobody knows where it is, really. But it's been rumored he had it at one point.

"As for the Elder Wand... He mastered it from my father, supposedly. Which was how he was able to defeat the Dark Lord the last time. Complicated story; not sure how much you've heard. But in the end, it comes down to this name on that random Snitch. And I bet that's who is the current master of it. Though he probably has no idea..."

For a moment, Albus only stood there, staring at Scorpius. He then shook his head slowly. "So...what does this mean for you? Tom doesn't have it, so...goal accomplished, right?"

The look of anger that crossed Scorpius' lips quelled any other nationalizations Al had. "You said it yourself – I. Can. Beat. Him. I _will_ beat him, Albus. And I will be the strongest wizard in England. Hell, maybe the entirety of Europe! We could be kings, Albus..." A far-off, dazed glint clouded his eyes a moment. But he soon composed himself, brushing dirt from his clothes. "But right now we need to come up with a game plan. And we can't stay here. Not out in the open."

Albus again viewed their surroundings. He cleared his throat before asking weakly, "And where are we exactly?"

"Just outside of Wiltshire. The Malfoy Manor is not far from here. But it's not safe there, either. It's one of the first places they'll check."

There was a perplexity to Scorpius that had Al worrying quite a bit. He'd always seemed so...cool. So calm and collected. Seeing that cluelessness in his demeanor was very unsettling. "S-Scor? Um...I think I know where we can go. It's Unplottable and no one, living anyway, outside of the family knows its location. It's the place where, uh..." He drifted off, painful memories resurfacing as he tried to slam walls up against them.

Scorpius was no help against them. "The place where I killed your father?" Al nodded, turning away while he choked back tears. "Yes...I noticed that. That sure made things difficult that night."

"Can we not talk about this, please?" Albus snapped, hands closing tightly over his ears.

Keeping silent, Scorpius stared at Albus. He was either confused or ashamed. Maybe a little of both. Whatever it was, he didn't push the topic any longer.

Albus' emotions calmed with the silence. He took deep, cleansing breaths to attempt to clear the memories from his mind. "Let's just...go. Hopefully we'll find my family there as well." Words could not express how much he longed to see all of them. Alive.

"You know the location." With a raised brow, Scorpius offered his hand. And when they joined together, hurled through space by apparation, the warmth they gave one another was indescribable. It was reassuring in ways condolences never could be.

The two young men landed on the doorstep to number 12 Grimmauld Place with absolute precision. A good thing because when Albus glanced over his shoulder, he was met with the sight of a half dozen Death Eaters. He gasped, hugging closer to the door. "Don't step off the stoop," he worried in a hushed voice, turning the doorknob frantically. It turned easier than he'd anticipated, causing him to stumble forward a step.

"Get inside, idjits." The growl was accompanied by strong hands yanking them into the house. The instant Albus recognized his brother's face, he launched himself forward. His hug was crushing, even to the other's more hulking frame. He completely set aside the fight they had they last time the two had been in a room along together. In the end, it had all been about James trying to protect his younger brother. And what matter more right now was the fact that they were both alive. They could set the quarrel aside for the moment – or Albus was sure he could. "Get off," James protested, but there was a sentimental quality to his tone.

"Do I get a hug, Albus?"

"Mum?" With the door closed behind him, Albus felt safe enough to envelope himself inside Ginny's arms. He couldn't get enough of feeling her so close – warm and alive. She felt like home. He could easily forget everything bad that had happened with her as well while embracing her like this. "Did everyone get out okay?" he whispered, looking up into her eyes filled with happy tears.

"Yes." Ginny's eyes slowly landed on Scorpius, repeating her affirmation. "Thank you. I...I don't know if you realize how grateful I am – we all are – for what you did."

Scorpius' eyes widened as he nervously scanned the entryway. He couldn't look directly at any of the other three people, a harsh frown etched into the lines of his face.

"Doesn't it seem the least bit suspicious to you, Mum? He brings back the bastard, and then turns against him? How can you trust that?" Maybe deep down James was thankful for having his life saved. But he was the voice of reason. He had to be as it was an issue that needed addressing. "Not to mention, half a week ago he killed Dad! Are we just forgetting that?!"

Slowly, Scorpius looked up at the dark-haired, bulky man. Behind the anger bubbling on his face was a hint of scorn. He stepped closer to James, never blinking or averting his gaze. "Since I was a child, I was raised to think a certain way. My dear mother brainwashed me. I did whatever she told me to do. That included killing her and my unborn sibling. I was raised to believe Lord Voldemort was my sovereign god. I was to do all that was in my power to bring him back to life.

"But he killed my father," Scorpius snapped as James gave a soft snort. "Just as I killed yours, I'm aware. It's opened up my eyes a little bit; caused me to stop and figure things out. And now I'm starting to think...obedience isn't quite worth it. So why don't you stop questioning my damn motives and be appreciative that your brother gave me a chance to redeem myself by saving all of your asses."

No one could find the voice to speak after he had finished. They didn't quite know what to say back. Albus gently slipped his fingers between Scorpius' pale ones, smiling reassuringly at everyone. Once they got over their differences, they could begin to focus on putting their enemy back to rest.

"Alby! Alby!" Remi, all grins, came running through the hall towards Albus. Her mother trailed behind her, attempting to quiet her shrieks of excitement. "Alby, you made it home!" She enclosed her arms tightly around him, squeezing with all her might. But as she whispered up at him, her tone was softer and pitying. "I sorry about your daddy... Mummy says he's playin' Quidd'ch in the clouds. I think that nice. Sounds very nice." For such a small girl, she really was wise. It brought tears straight to Albus' eyes. He wiped them away with a sad smile, leaning down to kiss the child's cheeks softly.

He had no words. Honestly, this child had just rendered him speechless and, for a moment, very happy.

"Boys, I'll bet you're very hungry. Probably tired? Why don't you go on upstairs and rest. I'll call you when I finish making dinner." Ginny's hands were gentle as she pulled Albus and Scorpius away from everyone else. Their feet were very soon on the bottom step, leading upstairs.

The two climbed, side by side, staying silent and trying just to make it all the way without either falling apart. The reunion downstairs had made Albus feel vulnerable and light-headed. He knew he would pass out from holding in these feelings, but he just couldn't allow himself to break in front of those people. Those people may have been his family, but he was determined to show them that he was strong. No longer was he the naïve, studious boy they had known for all of his life. The stakes were too high – he couldn't afford to be that person anymore. His heart was absolutely pulverized from his father's death and every reminder was like another crushing blow. But he had to try as hard as he could to keep those feelings private right now. People needed to be able to count on him. He wanted more than anything for his family to see him in this new light.

As for Scorpius, he wasn't all too accustomed to feeling much of anything. He didn't exactly know what to do with all of these emotions raging through him. For most of his life, he repressed any sort of resemblance to feeling. It was safer that way with the legacy that had been laid out for him from practically birth. His mother had taught him that to laugh, to cry, to love, to long was to fail. The only thing he was allowed to feel was the deep drive in his belly to succeed. But a desire to win was not what he was feeling right now. There was something…else stirring in his heart. A sadness he couldn't even make an understanding of. He was sure at any moment, this sentiment was going to rupture and completely consume him.

"I know your father's death is killing you on the inside."

They had reached the top floor landing, the bedroom of Albus' newest nightmare easily visible in front of them. Simultaneously, the two boys halted their steps and refused to look at one another. Their conflicting thoughts instilled shame neither wanted to face.

"I'd prefer not to talk about it," Scorpius said under his breath, loosening his grip on the other's hand and shoving off in front of him. He headed for the other bedroom, turning a blind eye to the one he'd caused the traumatizing murder in. Once inside, he looked around with an air of distaste, his lip curled as he examined the untasteful décor of the room. "Is this the only room available? The bed…. It's only a queen. And looks as if it's been here for years. Ugh, it's disgusting. We could leave…. Go somewhere else private and..." Scorpius sighed, gently testing the mattress, fingers stiff and hardly touching the fabric of the comforter like he was afraid he could catch something from it. "I can pay for a nice hotel room for us. I can guarantee your safety, Albus, if that's what you worry about. I know wards and extremely impressive curses, I assure you."

With a roll of his eyes, Albus bypassed the young Malfoy and almost threw himself onto the bed. It wasn't hard or uncomfortable – it was just what he needed. It contoured to his form and felt like absolute heaven. "Shut up, Scorpius and just…. Lie down next to me. Please. I'm exhausted and I'm guessing it's been ages since you slept. We need to be well-rested and ready for anything. Correct?"

A sigh falling from his nose, Scorpius gingerly laid down next to the other. "You think I am being overdramatic, but you'll feel differently later on. You'll see." He looked over at Albus, his eyes dull and lifeless. There was nary a spark of deviance or secrecy. The sight was almost alarming to the Potter boy. He wasn't accustomed to seeing this man so…lifeless. Gently, he stroked his lover's cheek, turning into his body. "Once you've grown comfortable with luxury, you find you can't have anything else. One day…you will know that feeling, I hope. One day we will be able to live together – the top of the world." Though his words sounded passionate, there was absolutely no energy to his voice. He didn't seem to believe his own words could come true. Or maybe he was tired of trying so hard to make the stories he told believable.

"I think that sounds lovely," Albus whispered, leaning up to gently press his lips to the corner of the other man's jaw. He shivered, a tingling feeling running through his body at the skin-to-skin contact. "Once we get you to the top. Once you defeat Riddle and end the world's new suffering…I think we could have that. But I don't need the luxury. All I need is you. I just need your love and affections to get me through. All the rest, I could honestly care less about." Breathing contentedly through his nose, he laid his head atop Scorpius' chest and closed his eyes. "But for now, in this moment, I'm content to just be here with you. I'm content to rest at your side – rest I'm sure we could both use. We'll have a lot of explaining and speaking and strategizing to do tonight and we need to be fully aware. Can we sleep for a little bit?"

There was no answer from the Albus' partner. He merely closed his eyes and continued to face up towards the ceiling. Al took this as an answer in the affirmative and took no time in falling asleep himself. He was exhausted enough that the slumber came natural to him and in a matter of seconds, he was in a blissfully dreamless sleep. There were no nightmares of Dark Lords and dead parents. No lusty, erotic visions of a night spent with this boy next him. Just…darkness.

Much too short of a while later, the door to their room eerily creaked open. Scorpius had allowed himself to relax and let his guard down. But at that small sound, he was instantly alert. Disregarding that Albus was resting on his chest, he flung himself up into a sitting position, then launched off of the bed. His wand was poised towards the intruder to the room, his eyes narrowed in the definite form of a threat.

The young girl in the doorway squeaked in fright, stepping backwards in instinct and grabbing the doorknob for safety. "I…. I was just, um…. Mum thought you might be…hungry?" She stared at the wand, her eyes wide, seriously fearing for her life. This was exactly why James didn't want her to come up here, she was sure.

"Scorpius!" Albus rushed to his lover's side, grabbing his arm and trying to force his wand down to his side. "Put that away!" He turned to force a small smile towards his sister, still fighting the much stronger man at his side for a bit of control. "Thank you, Lily. We'll be down in a minute, 'kay? You should…go?"

The girl wasted no time in bolting. Once she was gone, Albus gave up his fight as the wand was no aimed towards him. He sighed, arms going up in a sign of surrender and rolling his eyes. "You can lower your wand! I'm not going to do anything to you. You know I couldn't, anyway…. Please, Scorpius."

His head tilting to the side, the blonde surveyed the man in front of him. His head was still swimming from their short nap. It hadn't been long enough for him to fully rest and reawaken. He felt almost like he was in a dream. And then he started to remember where he was, what had happened, and what they needed to do now. It all crashed over him like a breaking wave, so hard that he had to take a step back to steady himself. His wand arm lowered at the same time as he took in a soothing breath. No apology was made for his behavior. The young man merely slipped his wand back into its safe hiding place in his forearm holster before turning to look at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was a little mussed and he made certain to get every strand back into place before turning away. "You need to tell them not to surprise me."

Another roll of his eyes had Albus stalking out of the room. His innocent and sweet sister came to get them for a well-needed meal and it was her fault his lover had rounded on her? That he had pointed a potentially deadly weapon at her? That was certainly not fair. " _You_ tell them." He knew that it was probably a bad idea to snot off to this particular person, but he just couldn't help himself. Waking up so violently from an entirely too short nap made him a bit short-tempered and irritable. He wasn't ready to put up with Scorpius' self-righteous behavior right now.

This wasn't exactly a good idea to begin with, which he came to realize as he was walking out onto the first stair. "It would be better coming from you," Scorpius hissed and started with a vice-grip on Albus' arm. A moment later he was forcing the other up against the wall, earning a screech as he nearly lost his balance. Falling down the flight of stairs was a looming possibility as the only thing holding him there was that crushing, bruising hold on his bicep. "Then they may actually _listen_." The blonde raised a brow at his lover, making certain his point was getting across. He even went so far as to just barely tip the other towards the descending stairs.

Albus whimpered, closing his eyes and slowly nodding his head. He was terrified and his heart was racing a million miles a minute. There were times when _knew_ he loved this man who was so cruel to him. And then…there were the times like this. Why did there have to be the times like this? "Fine, I'll tell them, Scorpius! Just…please…." Was it the pleading? Was that why he did this to him? Did he want to hear him beg for his life like a damsel in distress?

" _Hey_!"

Slowly and with vague, vacant expression, Scorpius' eyes roamed down to the bottom of the flight of stairs. He stared at the man with the wildly colored hair at the bottom with disinterest for a long moment before smirking and looking back to Albus.

"Get your fucking hands off of him. _Now_!"

Teddy's voice was firmer and full of more feeling than Albus had ever heard in his life. He was trembling and didn't want to open his eyes to look at the two. But he knew that his cousin would look as if he meant business. He was serious and even slightly dangerous. This was out of the norm for the man, but he wasn't all that surprised by the anger he could _feel_ coming up from him. An anger he was so grateful for at this moment. And yet…it scared him because of what could come of it. "Teddy, please, just leave. I'd prefer not to fall down a flight of stairs today, thank you…."

It was Scorpius' turn to roll his eyes, an act that would have looked so foreign on him had Albus opened his eyes to witness it. The blonde snorted and took a step back away from the stairs, yanking Albus with him, directly into his chest. "You still have no faith in me, Albus?" he whispered menacingly into his lover's ear before letting him go entirely. "I would not have let you fall. I promise." He leaned in to give a kiss to the other's naturally tanned forehead, earning a flinch from the boy who still had his eyes closed.

"You keep your hands off of him, asshole. Got it?" Teddy roughly pushed Scorpius back, away from his 'prey' and into a wall. "Albus, open your eyes." The Potter boy complied, looking up at his cousin with a shake to his fragile being. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Albus whispered and fought the urge to tear out of the gentle hold his cousin hand on his arms. He was just trying to make sure he was unscathed in the rough exchange. He was just trying to _help_. But…what if he didn't really want him to? "Can we just…go downstairs, please?" He turned his green eyes to where Scorpius was still leaning against the wall, glaring daggers into the man's back. If looks could kill…. Gingerly, he stepped back out of Teddy's hold and towards Scorpius, earning a disbelieving scoff. "All of us. Together and without a fight."

Albus didn't even wait to see if his words had made any impact. He turned away without another word and headed down the stairs in rather a hurry. He just wanted to get away from all of the tension. All of the pain that could potentially come from any small exchange of words.

The walk down to the kitchen was awkward. None of the three spoke, though Albus was sure they were following him – he could hear their footsteps and angered breathing. When he entered the small, intimate room, he dumped himself into a seat at the table. He was exhausted. The little sleep they had achieved had done absolutely nothing for him. If anything, it had made things worse. And he knew this was likely to be a long night…. That prospect honestly made him want to curl up and just _die_ right there. He would have to relive every little detail of the last few days. They would all have to talk about death and plans and his relationship with Scorpius and loads of other uncomfortable things.

And they would have to come to terms with the fact that Harry Potter was no longer here to lead the fight this time. And that it just might doom them to lose this time.


	15. i'll raise you like a phoenix

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter! Trying to get back into this one. Please let me know what you think!

Whoever may have thought that everyone sitting down to talk about how to deal with Voldemort with the one who had brought him back was a good idea…. They were dead wrong.

From the start, the whole thing was a disaster. The moment they retreated to the meeting room, the group started something they could never go back on. They opened up a torrential can of worms the instant they sat down around the table.

"We've decided, he can't fight with us."

Albus frowned, looking down to his brother, then back to his…his boyfriend. (He decided from then on to refer to Scorpius as such. It was easier….) "What are you on about?" he snapped back, his voice sharp. He was done being soft and careful with how he said or did things. This situation…it was changing him. He wasn't a naïve, little boy anymore! He was…. He was stronger and he would make up for any mistakes he'd made.

James sighed and sat back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. "Teddy, Uncle Ron, and I talked – Malfoy can't fight with us. It's completely wrong." He shrugged, suddenly finding the table rather fascinating. "He killed Dad…." Everyone in the room shifted uncomfortably. All except Scorpius, of course. He merely continued to sit there, his eyes trained with intense heat at the oldest Potter boy. "He killed Dad and I'm sure everyone knows this! It wouldn't be right for him to be on our side!

"And I'm sure he'll turn on us."

Rolling his eyes like a petulant child, Scorpius threw his hands up in the air. His voice was calm and soft when he spoke, but there was that edge to it. The one that screamed of just how much he was containing himself right then. "Don't you think the fact that I saved all of you…. The fact that I'm _here_ instead of with Voldemort…. Doesn't that in itself mean that I want to be here? That I am, in fact, on _your_ side?" He edged his seat closer to Albus, almost like he was challenging the rest of the room. And to top it off, he laid his arm less than subtly across the other's shoulders and raised a brow. "Albus wants me here. And we – the two of us together – have the skills and knowledge between us to sort this whole mess out."

This meeting was sorely lacking in someone to pull everything together. Without Harry…there was no one down-to-earth with a full brain to control it all. They were destined to fall about between they even started to fight back.

"We need him."

Startled, Albus looked over to the opposite end of the table from James. His brother had assumed the head closest to the door and down at the other end sat their aunt Hermione. She looked reasonable and calm. Dangerously calm…. Like Al could never remember seeing her. Usually she was on about something. Being smart and clever and ridiculously intimidating. But now…. She could almost rule a country.

"Hermione!" Absolutely outraged that his wife would go against what he'd decided, Ron had stood up abruptly from his seat. "There is no reason on this earth why we would ever need that little shit! We don't need Harry's killer harbored under our care! Fighting in our ranks!" He reached up to grip at his hair, throwing Bill and George – the only two of his brothers that actually cared to show up at Harry's memorial – a look that pleaded for help. But they weren't going to step into this marital spat.

Hermione wasn't going to have it. She tied back her hair, readying for the fight that was to come. A fight that was going to tear this entire family in two before they even began to fight back. "Scorpius…. Scorpius started all of this. He knows the plans. He…has inside information that we could honestly use at this point in time." She held her had up to Ron as he tried to interrupt her, shaking her head slowly. She _had_ to say this. "Without Scorpius, we unfortunately have not a single thing going for us…. We will lose without him. We will all _die_ without him." For a moment, the woman had to stop and take a deep breath. No doubt stealing herself away from the rush of emotions concerning her best friend's death. "…And we don't need to lose another person close to us any time soon. Right, Scorpius?"

Those sympathetic brown eyes turned onto the steely grey ones. For a moment, they flashed with a small amount of sadness. Just for that second, he seemed vulnerable and _human_. And then he was right back to being angry and off-putting. Sheltering himself.

"Right," was all the blonde said, playing his fingers in the every-mussed tendrils of his lover's hair.

Silence echoed that one word. Every face around the room wore some mixture of anger, regret, terror, and confusion. And Hermione was like the queen of it all, pacing towards the door with her arms crossed over her chest and a challenging brow quirked at her family.

Albus was the first to speak in the awkward quiet still of the room. He swallowed hard, removing the arm around him and standing so he could see every single one of their faces. "I know…. I know this decision is difficult. But this is a difficult situation in general. And I think we need to keep as many people working on this side as possible. You may not trust Scorpius, but I can vouch for him." No one replied, they all just stared at him. He couldn't quite tell if it was out of hate or out of absolute perplexity. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Dad would have wanted him to fight beside us. He would have said 'the more people we can get, the better'. So that's what we need to do. It can't just be _us_. Uncle Charlie, Uncle Percy and his family…they've decided not to help but by not being here with us. And I'd assume anyone outside of this family is too scared to stand up so..." A little unsure in his resolve still, the boy, just barely becoming a man, threw a look over to where his aunt was pacing behind the opposite side of the table. She gave him an encouraging nod, bringing him to smile just a little bit and continue. "So, we need to get more people for our side."

"We will need to resurrect the Order of the Phoenix."

In a flash, everyone in the room turned to snap their eyes onto the Malfoy boy. Some in the room knew of the group mentioned, and then there were those who didn't. Those who might have been spared the nights of warring revel . Albus met the only face that was also perplexed – that of his cousin Fred – and frowned, then looked down at his boyfriend. "What is the Order of the Phoenix?"

As expected, Scorpius rolled his eyes at the younger Potter boy. He looked thoroughly _done_ with this entire ordeal. The consort he'd chosen was an idiot and somehow he'd fallen for him in a way that was not good for his now-forgotten mission. This boy's family hated him, with good reason, and he hated them back with just as much ferocity. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to get out of here. Run. He wanted to do things _his_ way. But he had been the one to suggest this bloody start of a plan…. Running off now would be…reckless. Especially with no doubt being so wanted for treason that he'd most likely be killed upon sight.

"The Order of the Phoenix – the defense against Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters for both the first and second war against him. The Potter family has played a pivotal role in both formations, I'm actually rather surprised that you are so clueless, Albus." The words were soft but they had a harsh edge to them that reeked of taunting. Everyone in the room knew exactly what Scorpius thought of the other's lack of knowledge.

Ginny spoke up from her spot next to Albus. She looked up at her son with a mixture of pity, sadness, and only slight determination. "We didn't tell Albus or Lily. James found some old things…asked questions…. So we explained it all to him. But the other two didn't need to know. We preferred not to talk about the past in too much detail. Too…painful." She sighed deeply, closing her eyes and pressing the tips of her fingers into her eyes. Trying to blind out the flashes of memories, no doubt.

"Same here," spoke George Weasley, his own eyes blurred with tears. It was common knowledge in the family that Uncle George had lost not only a brother, but a _twin_. He was heartbroken even after all of these years. Every time someone would say the name 'Fred', even to refer to his son, he would flinch just a tiny bit. His eyes would glaze over. He would break open again. Over and over and over…. "We didn't tell Roxanne or Freddie." He smiled just slightly over at his son, pretending not to see the uncomfortable anger and sadness in his siblings' eyes. They had lost a brother, too, but he was very vocal about deserving to grieve deeper.

With a snort, Scorpius ran his fingers through his fluid hair. Like he was physically frustrated by the ignorance and lack of backbone in the room. "And this is why you all just might fail this time around! Without me, there would be no one left with any semblance of a drive! You're all so consumed by what you have lost! I understand that grieving is normal – though I may not fully understand the concept. However, I think every single one of you needs to twist that pain in your heart into something like passion. You need to be able to seek _vengeance_ for what you have lost!"

For a long, uncomfortable moment, no one dared to say a word. They were being told off in a way that attempted motivation by boy who had single-handedly taken away one of their keys to survival. And he did make very valid points…. "The Malfoy boy is right," Teddy spoke up first. His fists were clenched upon the table, like it pained him to admit this. He had been one of the ones lobbying for the need to extract him from the house. "We may not like it…but he is right. We all could learn a few things. Half of us don't know how to fight a war. We haven't had to know! And he's been preparing his whole life…."

Scorpius smirked, grabbing onto a belt loop on Albus' trousers, yanking him back into the spot at his side. The brunette followed without protest, smiling at the slow, but sure acceptance of his boyfriend's place here. They neededhim. _He_ needed him.

"Fine," Ron resigned, taking his wife's cautious look in stride. "Malfoy…. Malfoy can stay. He's under probationary terms, however. And I expect an eye on him at all times. I still don't trust him. I think this watch needs to start with him sleeping closer to one of us adults."

"He's already sleeping beside an adult," Albus ground out, suddenly a little bit angry. It was one thing for them to judge Scorpius' character, to question his loyalties, to distrust his actions. It was another entirely for them to judge lifestyle and remove him from Al's reach. Even if that wasn't spoken aloud, he knew that's what this was about. They wanted Albus away from his 'tainting' personality.

Teddy's arm was gentle on Albus' shoulder. He hadn't even noticed that the man had stood and come to stand behind him. Protecting him? "Al…. We all think it would be best if the two of you stayed in separate rooms. We're not saying you can't see him or that you can't spend…supervised time together…. We just…." His words died out. He didn't even have a good lie for what they were trying to do!

"They don't trust me not to manipulate you again. They think you're under some sort of love potion or spell. They think you're vulnerable and pathetic." Scorpius rose a brow to the three mentioned to have come to the decision to get rid of him in the first place. "Isn't that correct?"

Ron, James, Teddy – they were all silent. They all shifted in their places around the room. They all looked uncomfortable to have their distrusts spoken aloud.

"Ronald!" Ginny was on her feet now, as well. She stared down her brother, eyes like ice and fire all in one dangerous combination. "Albus is neither your son nor your business! I may not approve of the person he has chosen to spend his love on as of recent…but I will not be sticking my nose in it. Whether you like it or not, he _is_ an adult. With Harry's passing…I've learned that I need to accept my children for who they are and who they love. Just as he did…. Maybe you should, as well." Her eyes cut back to her son and the possessive grip the blonde boy had around him. She hated it with everything she was…but she meant what she had said. She just wanted her son here. This meant that she needed to change how she treated him. "Albus and Scorpius will keep the bedroom they have chosen. And everyone will shut up about it. Understand?"

The people who wanted to oppose this decision miraculously found the will to keep it to themselves. They brewed in their spots, arms crossed and breeding hostility, but they said not a word. And in this moment, Albus found a brand new respect for his mother. He smiled gratefully up at her, but only earned a wincing almost-smile in return.

"My son's personal life is not up for evaluation here," Ginny continued, smiling over at her sister-in-law. "Hermione, I believe we need your skills. We need…lists of possible allies. We need names of old members and ways to communicate with them the urgency of this reformation. We can get a new meeting set up for tomorrow. And…we need to determine who in this house today will be allowed to take part in the Order. Which is essentially up to parents and spouses, I suppose…."

All Hermione and Ron needed was a single look to communicate their thoughts. They shared this look for minor seconds before both looking back at Ginny and stating in unison, "Not Hugo or Rose."

Albus winced. He knew Rose wouldn't particularly like this idea. She had been fuming mad at not even being able to sit in on this meeting. She was of age, after all! But he could see why his aunt and uncle would choose for her to sit out. They didn't want her to get hurt. They didn't want to lose either of their children. Hugo, being more level-headed, would understand this better.

"Lily is too young, of course," Ginny decided, slightly dejected at not being able to discuss this with their father. She had full authority here and wasn't sure whether she liked it. "But Albus and James are free to fight, as I know they are dying to do."

The decisions went down the line from there. Still behind Albus, Teddy leaned back against the wall and shrugged. "I will have to discuss it with Victoire. I don't want her to get into this…. I don't want her in the action. But that is ultimately her decision, I suppose." He sighed deeply, preparing for the argument they would have later.

"We would also prefer that Victoire not get in the middle of this. Louis and Dominique, neither." Bill squeezed his entrancing blood wife's hand gently as they shared a hesitant look. They almost seemed like they didn't want to be a part of this, either. But there was an obligation….

Arthur Weasley, by far the oldest member of the group, looked around the room. He had been silent this entire time, biting back whatever words he might have had. Ultimately, he wasn't fit to lead here. He was not as quick on his feet and really wasn't sure if he could handle yet another war. "I…. I will lend my services," he said softly, smiling around at his children. "Molly will, as well, in whatever ways she can manage from the home front. The only thing I ask is…that all of my children stay safe this time. I would prefer that we don't lose another." He shared a sad smile around the table, then sat back and looked at the last two men.

Freddie, just barely eighteen and quite the reckless joker just like his father, sat unblinking at the wood under his hands. He didn't know what to say. He was speechless for the first time in his life. All he had wanted to do since he was little was help run his father's joke shop. He was content there to laugh and make others laugh and cause general mischief. This…this was not his comfort zone. He slowly turned to meet his father's eyes, seeing the hurt and hesitance in them. As well as the fiery determination beneath this. "I…. I will fight…. If Dad allows."

This left George to answer. The most uncertain of them all. He had seen enough in the last war. He still had the scars to prove it, both physical and emotional. There were still those nights where he would wake up in drenching sweat from a nightmare that could only have been real all those years ago. Slowly, he nodded to his boy, then looked over to his father. Sharing that deep hurt between them in unspoken agreeance. "You can if you would like, Freddie. I will not allow Roxanne to, though. I think it needs to be a rule that we keep those who are underage out of the fight." He looked around the table and every seemed to agree. They had, after all, been saying that the younger children shouldn't be a part of this. "And if Angelina wants to join us, she may. I won't stop her.

"I will get secure letters sent out to other possible members," Hermione said quickly, making to exit the room. She stopped just before to press a kind kiss to the top of George's hair, whispering something in his ear that softened the hard look in his eyes.

Feeling the room needed some sort of hope, Albus leaned in and gently whispered to Scorpius, "When are you going to tell them…?"

The blonde raised a brow, once again disinterested in the room and those around him. "Tell whom what exactly?" he asked in nearly a snap. "I really wish you would ask proper questions every once in a while…."

With a slightly sad sigh, Albus pushed the arm off of his shoulders. "About the _wand_ ," he hissed back. "They deserve to know we have a chance!" As his words rang around the small room, he became suddenly aware of his volume. Blushing, he shifted in his seat and swallowed hard. "Sorry…," he whispered, avoided everyone's questing gaze.

"Are…are you okay, Albus?" his mother asked, leaning in to get a better look at her son. Her eyes were filled with concern and she wore a clearly cautious expression. Like everything she had been thinking about Albus' relationship could be true. That they could be hiding things. That this boy he was enamored with might just be as dangerous as they all feared. "Is there something the two of you need to tell us?"

"No." Scorpius was on his feet in an instant, pulling the Potter boy with him. "We have nothing left to share at this time. Now, if you would excuse us, I believe it is high time for a full night of sleep. Good night." He walked out of the room, dragging his lover along beside him without giving him any choice.

"So you want me to continue lying to my entire family?!" Albus finally burst out once they were in the confines of their room. He allowed Scorpius the chance to cast whatever charms he felt necessary before continuing to speak. "We're just going to keep this huge game changer a secret? Is that it?" He was furious! He wanted his family to be able to trust them! And here they were, keeping something crucial to themselves.

Visibly exhausted, Scorpius laid down upon the bed, reaching under the mattress on his side to pull out the blasted wand. The one that was knotted in such vile ways and was such a deathly color that Albus couldn't even stand to look at it. "You don't understand, Albus…." The way he said this wasn't derogatory as expected, instead he seemed almost kind. And maybe even grateful that this boy was innocent enough not to fully grasp the gravity of this delicate situation.

"Then help me understand," the brunette pleaded, kneeling down at the bedside.

Scorpius slowly turned to look him in the eye. His silver orbs were shining with what might have been the beginnings of tears. The presence of which made absolutely no sense to the other. "Albus…I know somewhere inside of yourself…you know that you should hate me. You know that you should be angry with me for what I've done to this world, to your family, to my own family…. This feeling you won't allow yourself to have towards me is exactly how everyone else in this house feels. They aren't clouded by the puppy love you have. They…have more sense than that." He reached out, his pale fingers ghosting over Al's cheek while his other hand grasped the Elder Wand ferociously. "If they all found out that I possess this type of weapon – a weapon that was previously destroyed for a _reason_ – they would cease to trust me. I want to help you all out. I want to right the wrongs I have done. But I can't if they won't allow me to. So for now…until we can figure out the best plan for me to claim ownership of this wand, we need to keep this whole thing quiet.

"I need you to use this one lie for me. Protect our secret, and in the end it could win us this war. I need to do this in order to make things right. Do you understand now?"

The raw emotion in his boyfriend's voice made Albus want to cry, as well. He swallowed the hard lump in his throat, having to turn his eyes to the floor to hide the weakness of crying at such a time. "Scorpius, I love you…. I would do anything you ask of me, you know. I'm an idiot, I know. But…for this moment, yes, I understand. And I'll keep this secret." He leaned forward to rest his head on the small space between Scorpius and him on the mattress. "Just…. Just promise me that in the end, you won't give me a reason not to trust you any longer…."

"I can't honestly promise you that, Albus…."

Albus knew this man meant what he said. He knew he wouldn't be able to provide that restful thought. There was always the chance that he might mess things up again at any time. He wasn't used to this 'playing on the good side' thing. And…somehow Al was okay with that. And he would stay by his side throughout every step – good or bad.


	16. how am i gonna be an optimist about this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if it seems like this chapter is a bit uneventful. I just...needed to get a lot of this out into the open. Now that I'm getting back into writing this one, I would love to start getting comments again. Please let me know what you think? What you hate? What you love? Anything would be lovely.

During a war, long periods of time seem to pass by quickly. Especially for the losing side.

The newly reformed Order of the Phoenix was that losing side. There wasn't just one reason why, they were just collectively lacking in _something_. Their ranks were small, consisting of the Weasleys, Potters, Longbottoms, Scamanders, Teddy's grandmother, a few of Harry's schoolmates, the Hogwarts gamekeeper – Hagrid, a few wizard's Albus didn't know, and the current Headmistress of Hogwarts – Minerva McGonagall. It was a well-rounded group and each member brought their specific skills. And yet….

New death announcements were mentioned in the Daily Prophet each day. Voldemort wanted everyone to know just which side they should follow of this war. Each name on that growing list pinned up in the meeting room was like a stab in the gut of their faction. They were losing hope by the day. The hardest deaths, of course, were those that hit close to home. Gabrielle Delacour, Luna Scamander, George's closest friend – Lee Jordan. The entire Order had a drink for every single one that was caught without backup and a few could be heard sobbing in the night.

Resistance was becoming useless.

An entire month of meetings full of hopeless planning and almost pointless tidbits of information passed. Albus had marked every single day on a calendar by his bed, Scorpius watching with a disapproving sigh. He preferred not to think about the time that had passed. He didn't want to know who was dying because he frankly didn't care. There were always casualties in war. Besides, he really didn't know a single one of those grieved for. Each day that had gone by was time for him to spend in the library at Grimmauld Place, searching for the name from the Snitch. No one knew what he was looking for and they didn't care to ask.

Everyone avoided the pair like dragonpox.

The only person who would come talk to them for the sake of seeing them was Ginny Weasley. She felt comfortable enough for some reason to actually speak with her son and his boyfriend in private. But she never prodded in on how they were doing personally. That was still uncomfortable territory. She would even go so far as to look away whenever they might show minute affection to one another.

Albus didn't blame his mother for this, though. He knew that after his father left her for a man of similar looks, it must be strange for her to see him slightly following in his footsteps. Besides, he wasn't even all that used to this…whatever it was, yet….

The actions of this relationship came to him more and more naturally with each passing day of that month. He was starting to grow accustomed to the decidedly male musky scent of the man who would often come up behind him and wrap his arms tightly around his midsection. The scratch of newly grown stubble on the back of his neck in the morning was beginning to feel incredibly pleasant. And those kisses that tasted something like dark honey were not something he could even think to argue with.

He'd known somewhere inside that he liked men for years. Since his father had started to date Draco Malfoy. Since he had seen just how happy they were together when they thought no one was looking. It had just not been something he had wanted to come to terms with. He had hid it down deep inside and ignored it. But now that he was with Scorpius…. Now that he cringed every single time he glimpsed Alice Longbottom at a meeting…. This just seemed natural. And real. And _right_.

Since the day of his father's memorial, the pair hadn't gone so far as to make love. They spent every waking and sleeping moment at each other's side. Albus would help the other search through the library in desperation for any help towards their secret goal. Scorpius would sit in the bathroom upon the floor while his lover showered so that he wouldn't feel alone. They shared heated kisses in the night when they couldn't sleep, desperately clinging to one another for the support they desired. And yet….

That action just reminded them of something depressing and hopeless. It came with memories of a day where they had needed to feel _something_ to survive. To call back upon those feelings felt absolutely wrong. It felt like tearing a soul in two. Every time they would get to the point of crossing that hurdle, they would have to rip themselves apart and sit on opposite sides of the room to calm down. They never spoke of it, but they both knew that it felt appropriate.

As the day drew to a close, Albus stood beside the calendar in their room and just stared at every single 'x'. He looked at the first of the month, sighing as he remember his cousins heading back off to school. He remembered the way his mother had cried as she said goodbye to Lily. In all actuality, Hogwarts was safer than anywhere else in the world. The children would be okay. Until the day came that the school had been infiltrated, they could be a peace with where they were. Hugo, Louis, Dominique, Lily – they would all be okay. It just felt like an open sore for them to be out of sight.

His eyes flicked back to the current day as he hovered a black marker over the square. Resolutely, he drew those lines over the white space and took a step back. He recapped the marker, then turned to force a smile in Scorpius' direction. "It's been a month…."

"And nothing has changed," the blonde said quietly, echoing the others inner thoughts.

Sighing, Albus set the marker aside and crawled into bed next to his lover. He curled in tightly to his chest, wanting to become one person with him. Wanting not to have to feel all this hopelessness alone. "When we first started this...everyone looked like they actually believed we could make a difference. They had solid determination to win again. But now..." He frowned, tracing a muscle line on Scorpius' pale chest. "Now they all look lost. And tired. And...grey. Like failing is a disease and they've all caught it. They've all come to the conclusion that we have to give up."

It was true. The meetings lately were more like long patches of silence than anything anymore. It was uncomfortable and eerie. The desperation soaked the walls.

"Except for you. You're...radiating lately. I don't know if it's our little secret hope or...or what. But you don't look gaunt like the others." There was almost a rare smile on Scorpius' lips as he looked over Albus' face. He looked healthy and beautiful. Like maybe deep down he knew the Order was giving up for nothing.

Before he could stop it, Albus let out a disbelieving snort. He didn't feel radiant at all. If anything, he felt like being cooped up in this house for so long was making him sick. His stomach was always turning and something felt...off inside. "Oh, shut up, you," he muttered and closed his eyes, still nuzzling in to the man's secure chest.

Shaking his head, Scorpius reached over and flicked his wand at the lights. They turned off and the room was thrown into darkness except for the minimal beam of moonlight streaming through the window. The two men could no longer see one another, but it almost felt better this way. Albus pulled himself up to his pillow, but kept his arms secure around Scorpius' bare waist. He had to keep a hold on him somehow. He needed to know that he wasn't alone.

That's what he was most terrified of now, he'd come to realize.

"I love you," Al said under his breath, but he knew the other man would hear it. He had to say it before they fell asleep every night. Or before they tried to. Merlin knew they were always knackered. But most nights the heavenly bliss of slumber eluded them. When each moment of sleep contained a nightmare, it put a person off a little bit.

Scorpius never responded back to this proclamation but for a soft kiss to his boyfriend's hair. He would hold him securely, running his fingers though those messy black locks. He was always soothing, always comforting. So far, Albus hadn't found himself lacking for a single thing. It was a blessing in such dark times.

"I found the name Syphe today."

Feeling he'd almost heard wrong, Albus sat up a little bit. Maybe he'd started to doze off? They couldn't have actually made any sort of breakthrough. Could they? "Um…. You did?" he questioned, biting his lip and wishing he could see the other's face. He needed to know that this was genuine. Tone was not enough.

With a soft chuckle, Scorpius squeezed the man just a little bit tighter. "Yes, I did. Though I'm not sure how much help it's going to be." He removed his fingers from Al's hair and scrubbed them roughly through his own. He was frustrated. They had come closer and yet…it seemed what he'd found might be practically useless. "I found a Camdon Syphe. In a book of poetry, of all things. Your sister left it behind in the sitting room. I flipped through and wouldn't you know…there it was. It was quite a…homoerotic piece, I must say." He gave a small burst of a laugh and started to speak in almost a rehearsed fashion.

" _If I ever begin to tire of the heart you have offered me, remind me with just a simple touch. One caress of your lips against my sensitive skin is all I need. One touch of your fingers to my aching desire is all you need offer. One submission and one backwards glance filled with your intense passion is more satisfying that the release you provide…_."

Albus shifted uncomfortably and pulled the blankets tight against his chin. He didn't like it. It was…just as Scorpius had said – erotic. Maybe it was love or maybe it was lust. Either way, he felt dirty just listening to his lover speak aloud the words. "I wouldn't say…that he's gay just from that…."

"Oh, it goes into more detail from there. All throbbing cocks and swallowed love and whatnot." If Scorpius sensed any of the other's uncomfortableness, he didn't let on. "Besides, his short bio before the poem said that he lived with his husband in France. And I think that is pretty straight forward…."

A deep frown began to etch into Al's face. He looked in the dark up at the blonde, desperate to see something. Desperate to make sure this conversation was real. It seemed…put on, almost. Why would his sister be reading poetry like that? "That's…ridiculous. And slightly disturbing. I'm also not exactly sure how that is remotely helpful to us…."

"I find it to be romantic. He loves this man so much that he wants to share this intimate act with the world." Scorpius shrugged, running his hands down the sides of Albus' body. Touching the most sensitive areas of him for just a fraction of a second. Enough to excite slightly. "But I wouldn't expect you to understand…. My innocent love." The smirk was tangible in the darkness. "It isn't all that helpful, though. The only thing that I got from it was the exact town in which this man lives. But I don't feel like knocking on every single door in Marseille to find someone who might not even be able to help us. So…for now, it's back to the books tomorrow."

Albus heard every word that was said, but he was hung up on a particular part of it. "I am _not_ innocent, Scor. We have had sex, you know." His words were tinged with a slight tone of hurt. Like he'd been burned and it stung far worse than expected.

"I hardly count that," Scorpius hissed in reply. His words were like a slap across the face. "You were hardly responsive and it was just a longing for any sort of comfort and closeness. Isn't that why we've been avoiding that sort of step in our relationship? Won't it just remind us of that miserable moment?"

Silence was all that followed. Albus wasn't even sure what to say back to that. He had a point, as harsh as it was. Those few moments had been nothing but a lustful need to be filled with anything but sadness. And yet…that was how he had lost his virginity. It was the day he had become a real man. How did that not count?

It was nearly a half hour before he could think of anything to say. Even then, it wasn't exactly enlightening. He whispered quietly, pulling out of the arms around him and whispered, "Goodnight." His feelings were hurt, as was the minimal pride he might have left. He couldn't argue back because he didn't know how.

Their intimate act hadn't counted. It wasn't beautiful or anything to be desired. It wasn't special enough for anyone to write poetry about.

It was just…empty.

~*~

Little pleasures were always something to be celebrated lately. Most often, that fell upon birthdays. The Potter/Weasley clan had many in the fall months and it was easy to take time away from war talk to acknowledge them.

Today was little Remi's birthday. She was turning five and took every chance she was handed to remind everyone of this. She was a big girl now and deserved to be treated as such. Even though Albus had caught her with her finger in her nose just minutes after being told this.

There was a smile on Albus' lips today. He was actually, truly happy to take in the sight of the girly, glittery decorations around the kitchen and the cake that was enchanted to play music as it sparkled and the little ballerina atop twirled. This was a welcome distraction. He needed this to keep his mind off of just how useless everything still was.

Two and a half weeks had passed since the poem had been discovered and he and Scorpius were still no closer to finding Catari Syphe. If they could leave Grimmauld Place or send a letter, this would be so much easier. But the books in the library were all filled with everything but answers. They had been through most twice with just as little luck as the first read. The only thing they had was that poem…. And no matter how many times they scanned it together, they couldn't pull a single answer out of it.

The Order was still striking out, as well. They hoped they had come across an information breakthrough nearly a week ago, but their source turned out to be wrong. The location of the Death Eater attack was in another town with a slightly different name. The result was making it to the correct location late, their attempt at a surprise turnout was spoilt, and they suffered from being shorthanded against the massive thrall of men in black cloaks.

And one woman….

Near the end of the short battle - just as everyone was being backed into a corner, curses just barely being blocked in time – this woman, the same crazed one from Harry's memorial, had stepped out of the pack of black and thrown her hood off. When she threw the curse, no one was quite sure who she was aiming at. She had a way of…looking at every member at once. Seeing into every single one of theirs souls and sensing what they were soft for.

In the end, this Vega woman chose to exploit the worried glance Arthur Weasley made towards his children. The easier to access in a moment's impulse was George. She sent the unknown curse at him without even so much as a flinch to her features. That maniacal grin never left her lips as the group hurried to grab onto the fallen man. Rushed to stave the blood flow while disapparating in desperation. Any hope of even trying to win there was totally forgotten.

Albus wasn't there. He and Scorpius were told to stay behind for their safety. Direct fights against Death Eaters could be dangerous for them. They had complained about it then, but in hindsight it was a small blessing. This whole ordeal was a good reminder that this was real. That if they kept getting involved….

George was alive, though. He had managed to hang on through the blood loss from the sizable gash on his neck. Just barely.

Currently he was in a charmed coma upstairs, struggling for every breath. His wife Angelina never left his side but for the use of the restroom. She was distraught and his children were silent. They were all scared. Fred wandered around the house like a hapless spirit. The short, untelling letters from Roxanne sounded hollow.

Every half hour, Teddy would disappear up to that room to run checks on the man. He was desperate to not lose another member of his family. They all were. And if they had the Healer training he did, every single one of them would be up there with him. But they didn't, and they couldn't.

And so the rest of the family preoccupied themselves with these small, happy moments. Like birthdays.

"There is so much glitter in the air…. I think I'm going to be sick."

Scorpius was snide, per usual. He didn't particularly enjoy spending time with anyone. And he had made it very clear that he didn't exactly understand the point of birthday celebrations.

"On the plus side, it makes your hair look positively angelic," Albus joked back, gently placing his hand on the middle of his boyfriend's back for just a moment. Just long enough for him to close his eyes and stave off the taste of bile. He truly was feeling sick. The last few days, there had been something gnawing at his stomach. He'd managed to hold off on heaving so far by avoiding most foods and drinking lots of tea, but tonight he had a feeling this weird illness might get the best of him.

He just had to make it through this party. He didn't want to worry anyone. It was nothing.

Opening his eyes again and taking his hand back, Albus smiled over at Scorpius. Who was staring at him with that calculating, all-knowing expression he often carried. "If you're feeling unwell…wouldn't it be best to lie down upstairs?" he asked cautiously. His tone was tinged with a little bit of hope, like he would take any excuse to be away from here.

Albus shook his head back and forth quickly, laughing the matter off and taking a step away. "What are you talking about? I feel fine!" His words were sincere and almost sounded convincing, but the fact that his skin tone was almost the same shade as his lover was enough to call question to what he said.

But Scorpius wasn't exactly one for sentiment. He shrugged and leaned back against the wall, trying to blend in with it and disappear. No doubt he would remain in this position for the rest of the festivities if he was able.

"Alby come help me blow out my candles!

For the moment, Albus allowed himself to forget about Scorpius and the sulky man's enjoyment. He wasn't likely to have fun anywhere, he'd decided. Why try and go out of his way for no result? He laughed along with the giggling, grinning girl and followed her over to the table. She stared at the cake, filled with the kind of glee only a child could have. She had no idea of the dangers lurking outside her door. She knew nothing of the war going on or why her daddy kept disappearing upstairs every thirty minutes.

All this little girl cared about was that she was another year closer to being a 'big girl' like all of the others. She felt special today, as she should have.

Albus settled into a chair next to Remi, watching her and becoming lost in just how…innocent she was. How her presence was miraculously just the right thing to keep everyone sane and grounded. She was necessary to keep light in any conversation in this house.

She was what they were fighting for, essentially.

Albus was extremely blessed that he and his siblings, his cousins, his friends had never grown up with a war on. They had never had to deal with the stress of losing anyone at a moment's notice. That had all been thanks to his father. Harry Potter had ensured a safe childhood for them. And it was their duty to do the same for their future children in his absence.

Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes to stave off tears. He wasn't quite sure why he was going to cry. He just felt…emotional. He couldn't pinpoint why exactly, but that didn't matter. Right now crying in front of this happy birthday girl would do no one good. He needed to stop the tears before they came.

"What should I wish for, Alby?" He opened his eyes to see the girl's slightly gold-tinged brown ones staring him down. Her smile had faded slightly and she looked almost wistful.

For a long moment, Albus stayed silent. He thought his answer over long and hard, his face contorted adorably. In the end, however, he grinned back at the blonde beauty and whispered his answer. Her eyes lit up upon hearing it and she quickly turned to look at the cake. Victoire had just finished lighting the candles and nodded encouragingly towards her daughter.

The tears were harder to keep at bay, now. Quickly, as Remi leaned in with a large breath of air in her cheeks, Albus stood up from the table and snuck through the gathered family members. He left the kitchen, running up the stairs as fast as he could while still being quiet. Once he reached the quiet entryway, he allowed himself to break. He collapsed onto the floor, head in his hands and just sobbed like a child.

He was still unsure of what he was crying over, but he knew now that it meant a lot. This raw emotion he was feeling was important, for some reason.

After a few minutes, he became aware of another person standing beside him. He could hear the soft, lazy breathing. Whoever it was took no time to comfort him. And that could have only been one person.

"What did you tell her?" Scorpius asked, more curious than concerned. He knelt down beside his boyfriend, placing the most placid of hands on Al's knee.

With a sniffling chuckle, Albus looked up. Green met steely grey and they understood each other. Even though Scorpius wasn't outwardly affectionate, he still cared somewhere deep down. If he didn't, he wouldn't be at his side now. He fell sideways into his boyfriend, enjoying the pure energy coursing between them as those strong arms encircled him. Calming his tears and reassuring his rapidly beating heart enough for him to answer.

"Wish for happily ever after."


	17. i'm in love with poisoning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... I've been waiting for a looong time for this chapter! I know some will hate me but... this has been my intention from the near start. Please review. Any feedback at all is welcome!

Things were quiet for the few days after Remi's birthday. The daily meetings were short and uneventful. There were no deaths in those days. And the best part was when Scorpius found another poem by Camdon Syphe.

"This one has a biography, too," Albus said quietly, examining the small book of poetry. They had missed it the first time around because of its size. Overall, there was only about twenty poems in the book and they were lucky enough that the person they were looking for was among them. "Maybe we can get more information from this one?"

Over in the other corner of the library, Scorpius was lying down on the couch. He was massaging his temples slowly, his eyes closed as he fought off a migraine. It seemed that reading the same boring books over and over again was taking a toll on him. Or he was just being dramatic…. "Read it, then. I could do with more erotic mental images of homosexual lovers writhing with pleasure right now."

Albus wrinkled his nose in distaste and turned to the page of the poem first. He read it silently to himself, not wanting to give the other man the satisfaction right now. He was feeling sick again and didn't want to hear how much his boyfriend enjoyed reading of the sexual experiences of others.

"It's not about gay sex this time," he said coolly, standing up off the floor and stepping over the ring of books around him to cross to Scorpius' couch. He sat gingerly at his feet, patting his leg as he explained further. "It's actually titled _Cat &Sam_…and it's about his children."

All ideas of suffering from a headache were thrown out the window. Scorpius sat up quickly, ripping the book out of Albus' hands. His eyes scanned the poem fervently as he worried at his lip. Was it that simple? Were the answers actually right here in front of them? After searching for so long…had they seriously just overlooked this?! "Go get me the other book," he snapped, raking his fingers through his hair. He was excited, but he was also quite frustrated. He didn't like feeling like a fool.

Albus sighed and got up, underwhelmed by his boyfriend's reaction to his find. He had made a great discovery! And there wasn't even a 'thank you'? He would have loved an excited kiss. At the very least, a smile would be nice. All he received was a barking command, however. Like he was a slave. He grabbed the other book of poetry off of a bookshelf and tossed it across the room to the other. "What?" he questioned with only mild interest. He was almost past the point of caring at this point.

"Do _not_ throw shit at me," Scorpius snapped, his eyes locked dangerously onto Albus. If he weren't so lost in being hopeful, he might have stood up and enforced his words. Shaking his head, his jaw squared in anger, the man crossed his legs up on the couch and set one poem open on one knee and the other opposite. For silent minutes, he compared the two pieces of work. They were no doubt written by the same man. The style was the same and his heart was definitely on the page.

The differences between the two, however, were outstanding. In the first one they had found, his words were enchanting and drew quite a vivid picture of his no doubt bountiful sex life. The second…. Well, there was something forced about it. His words called no doubt to his love for these children of his, but it just wasn't written with the same passion. Frowning, the blonde flipped to the publication page of both books. The comparisons said everything. "This book you just found? Published in 1982. The other one is from 1998. Just after the last war…." He sighed, reaching back to tie his hair up into a loose ponytail.

Silence again stretched while Scorpius read over the small biographies in both books. Albus watched on with his green eyes smoldering with both anger and intrigue. He didn't want to care right now about what the other had to say. But he couldn't deny that this was a bit exciting. They were finally getting somewhere….

"First book – Camdon Syphe lives with his husband in Marseille. Second…. In the second, he's living with his wife and his son, Catari, and daughter, Samora, in London. So somewhere in between, he left his family and started a homosexual lifestyle." Scorpius gave an unbridled snort and tossed both books to the floor, kneading his fingers in his eyes now. The headache was back. "And, again, that doesn't help us!"

Sighing deeply, Albus crossed back over to his boyfriend. He sat beside him again, reaching up to softly graze his fingers over the man's pale cheek so flushed with anger. "At least we know…Catari Syphe exists. And he once lived in London. It _helps_ , Scorpius. It's something to go off of!" He shrugged helplessly before dropping his hand. "If we asked someone else…maybe we could get some help…?"

In a display of anger he hadn't showed in the last few weeks, Scorpius turned towards Albus. His long fingers clamped tightly around Al's jaw as he swung himself around so that both of his legs were on either side of the brunette. Their faces were merely an inch apart and Scorpius' other hand was poised at the nape of the other's neck in warning. " _No. Help_ ," he ground out through his teeth, flexing his fingers in anticipation. Like he was expecting the other to defy him.

Albus wasn't sure whether it was the way the rough way his boyfriend was deciding to treat him again or whatever was actually making him sick, but he felt like he might puke. He took in deep breaths, trying not to move. Scorpius might see that as him trying to get away. He might actually choke him again. "Fine," he whispered, barely trusting himself to move. "We can do it your way. Your way is superior…." He swallowed back a little bit of bile and closed his eyes.

The flattery didn't make a bit of difference. Scorpius still closed his fingers around his throat. He still tightened them until Albus couldn't take a breath in. He _still_ grinned down at him as he did so like he was enjoying every second of it.

His eyes were shining with something malicious that Albus knew he couldn't trust. His heart pounded in fear at the fear of the companion his heart had chosen to fall for. And his stomach was just about to its breaking point. But at least if he couldn't breathe, he wouldn't be able to empty his stomach. Right…?

"I have a theory…," Scorpius whispered, his voice sounding snake-like as he hissed the words into the other's face. "You weren't disciplined enough as a child. You don't know your _place_." The last word was emphasized by a stronger, more enthusiastic squeeze to the already constricted throat.

That was it. Disgust in this man and this act and his choice to be in love all wrapped up into one vile package. It erupted with only a moment's notice. He only had a second's time in which to violently push the blonde off to the side before relieving his stomach upon the no doubt expensive rug over the antique wood floor. Scorpius jumped up off the couch and back from the vile mess, covering his nose from the stench.

"You are _disgusting_!" Scorpius spat down at him, reaching down to grasp a handful of black hair. He tugged until the man, his chin stained with sickly green vomit, was meeting his heat-filled eyes. "You get sick from a small amount of pain? You're _weak_ , Albus! Sometimes I'm ashamed to even waste my time on you…."

Crying from the harsh treatment and the burn in his esophagus, Albus stared up at his boyfriend. A title he was considering revising right now. "I haven't been feeling well…," he whispered, voice hoarse and breaking on several words. "I'm sorry. I'll clean it up…. I promise."

Like a switch turning off, Scorpius' eyes immediately softened. He released the deathgrip on Al's hair and took a step back. Like he was reconsidering the last few minutes and it almost scared him. Almost. "I…. I didn't know. You didn't say anything…."

Albus shrugged, wiping his mouth on his sleeve before slipping his shirt off. "I didn't think you would want to know." He stood up, actively avoiding the puddle of puke on the floor as he went for his wand where he'd left it over by the books. "You're not exactly sympathetic, Scorpius." The bruise forming on his neck was a great attestment to that.

By the time Al came back to the couch, the puddle was already gone. Scorpius stared at the floor, arms folded across his chest. Feeling…remorse? Maybe? "You and I are together, Albus…in whatever way you wish to consider that to be. I care about your wellbeing. Maybe I don't show it…."

"You don't."

With those words, Albus left the room. He was just _done_. Scorpius could apologize and feign innocence and sincerity all he wanted – he wasn't buying it any longer. A man who truly cared about him wouldn't choke him. He shouldn't be more disgusted over him puking than he should have been worried about him nearly passing out back there. He shouldn't be so…evil.

"Albus!" Gentle fingers took ahold of the Potter boy's arm, halting his frustrated and slightly obnoxious footsteps as he headed for his room. He just wanted to lie down and ignore all of this. He could deal with it later! But right now…. "Albus are you okay…?"

Teddy's voice was soft. He had the adept bedside manner of a Healer. There was even genuine concern in his eyes when Albus decided to meet them with his own tear-soaked emerald orbs. "I…. I'm fine. Not feeling well…. Some sort of bug or…or something doesn't agree with me. I'm fine." He faked a rather unconvincing smile and rubbed at his red neck, willing the fire upon it and his cheeks to go away. "What were you doing, anyway? Listening in?"

"I was coming up to check on George and heard you heaving. I'm just…concerned…. You've looked unwell the last few days." Teddy smiled, softening the dark brown of his eyes to a gentle amber and fading his hair color to a pleasing aqua shade. Trying to look…nice. Genuine. His eyes scanned over Al's body and hung for a second too long on his midsection. "Just the puking, then?"

With a shrug, Albus continued on his way towards his room. He didn't have the patience to be diagnosed. He would be _fine_. "Yeah, but that was the first time. Honestly, Teddy – don't fret over me. It's not worth it. I just want to go rest."

Teddy cleared his throat, staying behind but not willing to let his cousin go that easily. He wasn't done. He had a theory to test…. "Have you been feeling…tired? Like overwhelmingly fatigued? Or…how about put off from certain foods? Moody…?" There was a bit of a smug, unsure grin tugging at the corners of his lips. But that was the only let on he gave to what he was starting to realize.

Curious, Albus halted his steps. He bit his lip, tilting his head to the side. "Yes…. All of them," he admitted unabashedly. His cousin was a trained professional. He wanted to know what his opinion was. It would be nice to know how he could fix this sick feeling that came and went and why he couldn't control his emotions. He turned back, just enough to look at the other man while still remaining a bit detached. "Why?"

The response Teddy gave wasn't what Albus desired. He didn't offer an answer or a solution. He merely scoffed, like he was slightly disgusted, and turned away. The words he spoke as he disappeared down the stairs were quiet, but they rang heavily in the other's ears. He froze, wanting to follow and question, but too shocked to make a move. The world was spinning. The same words echoed around and around in his head. He groaned softly, crashing to his knees before he'd even realized he was falling. His body felt limp and foreign as he slumped over into the wall. Even though he knew it was grounded and solid, he couldn't help but to fear it would fall out from under him at any moment.

A dangerously erratic heartbeat pounded in Albus' ears. His breathing was coming much faster than normal. His heart and head simultaneously felt like they would burst from overstimulation. He was about to pass out…. And yet he couldn't allow to let himself to. If he did, he might not remember what Teddy had said once he woke up. He might forget what this was about. He couldn't afford that!

Somehow, Al was able to force himself back to a standing position. He was wobbly on his feet, but he was able to make it downstairs. The path he took was uncertain; he had no idea where he was going. He just needed…something. He needed to be…safe and…. Somewhere calming.

"Albus!"

_Why is everyone always shouting my name in greeting…?_

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Ginny's gentle hands were on Albus' face, the cold touch of her skin cooling his flamed cheeks. Shaky and uncertain, he met his mother's eyes. They were soft and full of concern.

Whimpering softly, Albus threw himself into his mother's arms. His arms clung to her in desperation as he let loose with broken, terrified sobs. She kept expressing her concern, asking him to tell her what was wrong. He heard all of this and felt the way she shook his shoulders. He just couldn't get himself to respond. There was a loop of Teddy's voice in his brain. It wouldn't end and every time it repeated brought deeper panic.

" _You may want to tell your boyfriend to stop choking you. He'll give your baby brain damage."_

" _...your baby…"_

" _YOUR BABY"_

_A baby..._

"He's pregnant, Aunt Gin. He's just overreacting."

" _Pregnant_?!"

"Oh, come on, you had to have assumed they were…doing it. That Malfoy boy is anything but innocent. I'm sure he talked him into it. Or…took advantage of Albus. Look at him! He's a mess!"

"But…but this is…."

"Entirely possible. We both know that. _He_ knows that. Could've been Malfoy's plan all along..."

"I-it wasn't…."

Both Ginny and Teddy jumped. They hadn't been expecting Albus to speak – he had seemed so distraught. Clearing his throat and sharing a concerned look with her godson, Ginny led her son over to the table. There was an aroma of chicken and something savory lingering in the air. Albus had made his way back to the kitchen where he knew his mother would be making dinner right now. Just like she did every night. His instincts were still working, even though he was having troubles thinking correctly.

As he sat, Albus looked up and took in his surroundings. It was just the three of them. That was safe enough. But he couldn't help but to feel like this secret wouldn't be safe for long. And he wasn't sure how well it would be received. It was already turning out to be a problem with just these two. And with himself…. He wasn't even sure how he was supposed to react here!

Albus had never considered being pregnant. He hadn't wanted to even acknowledge feelings for men! Why would he think about having sex with them and the consequences of that? But now that he _was_ thinking about it… It wasn't a horrible thought. At…any other time. When there wasn't a war on. When they weren't all fearing for their life on a daily basis. When they could leave the house for five minutes to buy clothing! Albus owned only two outfits of his own here. Scorpius only had one. How would they be able to clothe a baby in these times if they couldn't even clothe themselves?

Not to mention just how dangerous the world was right now. This was no way to bring a child in.

"How do you know it wasn't his plan, Albus?" Ginny asked gently, her tone slightly forceful. She must have asked a few times already and not received any answer.

Albus shook his head, wiping thick tears out of his eyes for the second time that day. "I just…." He sighed, frustrated and slightly embarrassed to have to detail this out for them. If it had been anyone else…. "It only happened once. I swear…. It was a quick thing of desperation." He sniffled, looking down at his stomach and shivering.

There was something growing inside of him. What was he supposed to think about that?

Again, Ginny and Teddy shared a look. This time they both seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Al…are you sure that's what it was? He, uh…. He didn't take advantage of you? Hurt you? …rape you?" the man asked as softly as one could when using such accusations. "Did you ever tell him 'no' in that time…?"

Disgust settled into Albus' stomach. He knew they were just trying to be helpful and supportive and protective. But really…. That was a little too far. "No! I…I never said… _anything_ ," he muttered, recalling the hazy events of that morning. He hadn't said anything…. Had he? He couldn't recall protesting. He couldn't recall submitting, either, though. But he wasn't about to admit that…. Tension in such a tight house was never a good thing. "It was…innocent on both sides," he reassured his mother, leaning into her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"So why are you so…freaked out, then?" Teddy questioned. His voice was soft, but something in it said he didn't believe his cousin. He wanted someone to blame. "Why aren't you happy? None of this is your fault…so please don't say you're blaming yourself. What is the truth, Al?"

"I never thought to worry about it!" Albus nearly yelled, jumping to his feet as well as his own rescue. "I mean, yeah, we learned about the potions that could aid this sort of thing in school! But…but other than that, we were taught that it took an intense amount of energy and magic without. Most wizards aren't able to even get on the scale of possibility. I never thought about it after…we did it. It's just a shock, okay? An unforeseen shock. But now I've realized…. Scorpius is a very powerful wizard. I'm not quite as surprised as I was. But still…. I'm pregnant. And I don't want to have a baby in a world where I constantly fear for the lives of my family members! So forgive me if I'm a bit shell-shocked…." He rolled his eyes, running his fingers through his hair and mussing it up a bit in thought. Trying to get everything straightened out in his brain.

Every single synapse of his mind was mixed up. It was like someone had dropped a fully constructed puzzle and he had to figure out where all of the pieces went. He had to figure out how to make sound decisions again. Like how he was going to tell everyone else in his family? How he was going to rationalize that he was mildly happy about this strange and…maybe miraculous baby growing inside of him. James would be upset. He'd thirst for blood. He'd go after Scorpius…. They'd both make horrible decisions. Someone would end up hurt…most likely James.

But before all of that, how was he supposed to tell Scorpius in the first place?! And how would the Malfoy heir react? Happy like his father would have? Or furious like his grandfather? Would he claim the child? It would be born out of wedlock. They would shame the family name. How would this all end…?

The world was spinning again. Groaning, Albus sank back into his seat and covered his mouth. He wanted to be sick again. Though whether that was the morning sickness or because of his internal struggle, he wasn't entirely sure this time. Now that he knew the reason….

"Please don't tell anyone," Albus whispered, avoiding looking at either of the other two. The last thing he could handle to see right now was the pity and disappointment in their eyes. "I…I need to think about this more. I _need_ to figure out…how to do this right. Okay? Please…."

He didn't give them the chance to answer. Though he was shaky and dead tired, Albus launched himself up from his seat and left the kitchen. He wasn't hungry anyway, so he wouldn't be back for dinner. He might not even be back that night. He could use a good night by himself…without all of the questioning glances as he stayed silent.

Throughout the walk up to his room, Al was silent. Thoughtful. Dazy. His fingers lingered just over his stomach, going over everything he knew about male pregnancy. The facts over pain and cautionary spells and potions. Things he didn't have access to at the moment. The procedure…. Teddy was talented and trained, but did he know how to do that? This type of thing wasn't exactly common….

As soon as he was behind his door, shutting it with finality, Albus let out the breath he had been holding the entire way up. He allowed himself to crumble back into the confused and slightly helpless person he was right now. He let his emotions take over and again there were tears in his eyes.

He didn't know what to do. He didn't know where to start.

And he didn't know how to handle having that beautiful man sitting on the bed before him. He wasn't able to escape, was he?

"Scorpius…," he whispered, nodding in acknowledgement.

The blonde man sat on the edge of the bed, staring down into his hands. He had taken off the clothes he had found in the attic – the vintage vest and slightly poufy collared shirt – and was currently wearing the only outfit of his own that he had access to. In his hand was his wand as well as the Elder Wand. He looked ready to leave. Ready to bail.

"You're pregnant…. That's why you've been sick, correct?"

That only confirmed what Albus was thinking – This man was going to leave him high and dry with a baby he wasn't ready to take care of. All alone. "Yes. You heard Teddy?"

Scorpius nodded, scrubbing a hand over his face. He looked more tired than Albus had ever seen him. In the last few weeks, he had seen him in many different states of overwhelmed, so this meant something important. "Yes…. Your cousin is right, though. He's a wise man." He sighed, hanging his head towards his lap now, his fingers knotted behind his neck as he held this position. "I shouldn't have choked you. I shouldn't hurt you…. I could hurt the baby. Your baby…."

" _Your_ baby," Albus said, harsher than he had intended. He cleared his throat, leaning back against the door and hitching his chin in the direction of the blonde man. "I think you have to realize that our tryst actually did count, now. Now that it made a life…."

Still hunched over and looking broken, Scorpius nodded towards the floor. "I am aware." His shoulders, usually so poised and controlled in stature and posture stank. Who knew this was what it would take for him to be human?

Seeing his boyfriend just as ragged as he was feeling gave Albus a slight amount of comfort. He bit his lip, placing his hand over his waist again as he pushed up off the door. "It's strange, isn't it? The thought of being a parent…." He tried for a smile, but Scorpius didn't see it as he was still staring at the floorboards. "But, um…this could be a blessing, right? As long as…. As long as the war ends soon…." He cleared his throat, taking a seat beside the other on the edge of the mattress. "That's the only thing that really scares me about this."

The silver eyes that Al knew to be so entrancing locked right onto his. They weren't strong, they weren't cold, they weren't sure. They were scared and shaky in resolve. Very unlike the man he knew. "I don't know how to love. I don't know how to be tender. I don't know…what it is like to be a parent. Everything I might have seen in my father was counterbalanced by the shit my mother pulled. I don't know the balance. I don't know how I'm supposed to be expected to _do_ this." Scorpius ground his teeth together. "I'm not parent material, Albus. And that's the end of it."

With a final, frustrated shrug, Scorpius stood up and gripped the wands tighter in his hand. He took a few steps towards the door, ready to flee. This was more than he could handle, apparently. He was fine parading around like a good guy after he'd unleashed a murderer back into the world. He was fine shrugging off killing his lover's father. But he wasn't fine with welcoming an innocent child of his own blood into the world?

"Don't you _dare_ leave!" Albus' voice broke pathetically as he lunged after the man. He clung to his arm, breath hitching on his soft sobs. He couldn't do this alone! If he lost the man that he loved the same day he found out earth-shattering news, he wasn't sure what he would do. "Please, Scorpius…. I love you. I love this baby! I just found out about it, but I already love it! And the fact that it will exist makes me love you _more_. If you leave me…." He shook his head, leaning in so their faces were mere inches apart. "Please don't leave me. I _need_ you, Scorpius. _Please_."

Scorpius' lip curled dangerously. He looked like he wanted to throw Albus off. Slap him and push him onto the ground. But the flare in his eyes disappeared as soon as they flicked down to the man's stomach. And _that's_ when Albus realized why he was running. He was no longer in control. He wasn't able to use his tactics to use this man and it was making him feel uncomfortable.

Very gently, Albus reached up to caress the pale cheek of the man he loved. He smiled at him, pressing their bodies close together. "Scorpius…stay…," he whispered, ghosting his breath over the man's lips. Hoping to tantalize him into staying here. Into keeping him somewhere he could easily access him. Where he could be close at hand to help raise their child together. "I love you and I _want_ you to stay. I need you here…to keep me safe. To keep _us_ safe. Don't you want your child safe from the monster you brought back?"

His eyes soft still and submitting to logic, Scorpius sank into the gentle hold the other man had on him. He let out a shaky breath, looking at the lips so close to his own. It looked as if he was considering the words said, but it didn't take long for him to see reason. He sighed heavily, closing all space between them and crushing their lips together. They groaned simultaneously, arms tightening around one another.

There was no more talking about it. No more arguing facts or questioning what they should do. In this kiss, there was desperation and love. There was an understanding folding between them without words. They could get through this for reasons they were unsure of. But it was something they knew. And they could work through this.

And they would do everything they could to end this war before the only thing keeping them grounded right now was fully brought into this world.


End file.
